Beneficiary Battle over Presley Estate Reveals Possible Problems in Estate Planning

Beneficiary Battle over Presley Estate Reveals Possible Problems in Estate Planning

This is the situation facing the estate of Lisa Marie Presley, whose estate is being challenged by her mother, Priscilla Presley, as described in a recent article, “Presley beneficiary battle sets example of poor estate planning practices” from Insurance NewsNet. These situations are not uncommon, especially when there’s a lot of money involved. They serve as a teachable moment of things to avoid and things to absolutely insist upon in estate planning.

Lisa Marie’s estate is being challenged because of an amendment to the trust, which surfaced after she died. The amendment cut out two trustees and named Lisa Marie’s children as executors and trustees.

At stake is as much as $35 million from three life insurance policies, with at least $4 million needed to settle Lisa Marie’s debts, including $2.5 million owed to the IRS.

When this type of wealth is involved, it makes sense to have professional trustees hired, rather than appointing family members who may not have the skills needed to navigate family dynamics or manage significant assets.

A request to change a will by codicil or a trust by amendment happens fairly often. However, some estate planning attorneys reject their use and insist clients sign a new will or restate a trust to make sure their interests are protected. In the case of Lisa Marie, the amendment might be the result of someone trying to make changes without benefit of an estate planning attorney to make the change correctly.

The origins of the estate issues here may go back to Elvis’ estate plan. His estate was worth $5 million at the time of this death, $20 million if adjusted for inflation. His father was appointed as the executor and a trustee of the estate. His grandmother, father and Lisa Marie were beneficiaries of the trust. Lisa Marie was just nine when her famous father died, and her inheritance was held until she turned 25.

When his father died, Priscilla was named as one of three trustees. When his grandmother died, Lisa Marie was the only surviving beneficiary. She inherited the entire amount on her 25th birthday—worth about $100 million largely at the time because of Priscilla’s skilled management.

Terminating such a large trust and handing $100 million to a 25 year old is seen by many estate planning attorneys as a big mistake. Distribution at an older age or over the course of the beneficiary’s lifetime could have been a smarter move. Lisa Marie reportedly blew through $100 million as an adult and was millions of dollars in debt, despite the estate having plenty of cash because of two large life insurance policies.

In 1993, Lisa Marie established a trust naming her mother and former business manager as trustees. The amendment in question seems to have been written in 2016, removing Priscilla and business manager Siegel as trustees, appointing Lisa Marie’s daughter and son as trustees, and naming her son and her fourteen year old twin sons as beneficiaries.

Priscilla’s attorneys say they had no prior knowledge of the change. Certain changes in estate plans require written notification of people with interest in the estate, which did not occur. They are also challenging the amendment’s authenticity, saying it was neither witnessed nor notarized. Priscilla’s name is misspelled and Lisa Marie’s signature is not consistent with other signatures of hers.

The estate is being contested, with a preliminary hearing on the matter scheduled for April 13.

Any changes to an estate plan, particularly those involving changes to the will, trusts or beneficiaries, should be done with the help of an experienced estate planning attorney. When large changes are made, or large assets are involved, a simple codicil or amendment could lead to complicated problems.

Reference: Insurance NewsNet (Feb. 17, 2023) “Presley beneficiary battle sets example of poor estate planning practices”

Busting Some Estate Planning Myths

Busting Some Estate Planning Myths

An estate plan consists of four basic documents: a last will, a living trust, a financial power of attorney and a medical power of attorney and advance directive, according to the article titled “Common Estate Planning Myths” from The Street.

These documents need to be well-integrated, funded and aligned with your financial plan. There are many common misconceptions about how these documents work together to create a roadmap for your legacy. Let’s explore them.

A last will is a legal document outlining how you want your assets to be collected and distributed after death. The last will is also used to name an executor, who is responsible for managing assets, paying debts and distributing what is left to beneficiaries you specify. A last will also designates a guardian to care for minor children upon your death.

Myth: “If you have a trust, you don’t need a will.” Fact: Even if you have a trust, you still need a will.

For a trust to be effective, it must be funded, which means transferring assets from individual ownership to the trust ownership. People often forget to transfer assets or something unexpected occurs. For example, if a person creates a trust but becomes incapacitated before assets are transferred, the last will controls the distribution of assets.

Myth: “Trusts are only for ultra-high net worth people.” Fact: Everyone can benefit from a trust.

Trusts are used to retain privacy, control assets, plan for incapacity and avoid probate. Trusts can also be useful when family dynamics are challenging, or if you want to assert control over assets even after death. Consider a married couple with a net worth of $1 million who die prematurely with two children in their 20s. Each child inherits $500,000. Twenty-somethings may not be ready to handle large sums of money. A trust would allow the heirs to receive smaller amounts over the course of years and not all at once.

Myth: “I have a trust, so I don’t need a power of attorney.” Fact: You need a power of attorney.

Some assets cannot be owned by a trust, including IRAs, which must be owned by an individual. If you became incapacitated and do not have a power of attorney, there will be no one able to oversee investment management, Required Minimum Distributions or pay bills. Your spouse or other family member will have to petition the court to appoint a conservator to manage financial affairs.

Myth: “My loved one is in the hospital. However, I’m their spouse/daughter/sibling, so of course the hospital will tell me about their medical status and let me make decisions for them.” Fact: Protecting patient confidentiality is the law and healthcare facilities are very mindful of adhering to all state and federal guidelines.

An 18 year old who suffers an illness or injury is legally an adult, and parents have no legal right to medical information or decision-making without a medical power of attorney and a HIPAA release form. They cannot speak with the insurance company, doctors or make decisions about their loved one’s care.

A comprehensive estate plan, including a last will, financial power of attorney and health care proxy is something every adult should have. Speak with an experienced estate planning attorney to protect those you love and prepare for the future.

Reference: The Street (Jan. 6, 2023) “Common Estate Planning Myths”

How to Protect Loved Ones from Being Disinherited

How to Protect Loved Ones from Being Disinherited

Even if you’ve updated your wills, power of attorney, trusts and documented your end-of-life wishes, you haven’t finished with your estate plan, says a recent article, “On the Money: Do not disinherit your loved ones” from the Aiken Standard.

Forgetting to update beneficiary designations for retirement plans at work, IRAs, life insurance policies, mutual funds, bank accounts, brokerage accounts, annuities and 529 college savings plans can wreak havoc, with even the best estate plan.

It’s always a good idea to review these designations every few years and update them to reflect your current life. Each account with a beneficiary designation should also have a contingent or secondary beneficiary who will become the primary beneficiary, in case the primary beneficiary dies or declines to accept the asset.

One common occurrence: one child is placed as a beneficiary on an account, thereby invalidating the parents’ will and effectively disinheriting their siblings.

When you name a beneficiary on an IRA account, designate the specific individual by name, rather than by class, such as “all my living children.” Be careful to use the correct legal name. Families where multiple people share names often lead to problems when distributions are being made.

There are other times to review beneficiary designations:

Divorce or remarriage. If a former spouse was listed as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy, you’ll need to get a beneficiary change form to the issuing insurer. Naming your new spouse in your will won’t work.

You’ve started a new job and have rolled over your old 401(k) to an IRA or your new employer’s 401(k). If you want to keep the same beneficiary designations, name them on the new account.

Your primary beneficiary passed away. If you have a secondary beneficiary, that person is now the primary, but you should make sure ongoing designations are in line with current wishes. You’ll also need to name a new secondary beneficiary.

The financial institution changes ownership. Check with the new company to be sure your beneficiary designations are still what you want them to be.

You have a new child or grandchild. Children can’t inherit until they are of legal age, so check with your estate planning attorney to understand how you can provide for your new child or grandchild. Leaving assets to a minor may require the use of a trust.

A beneficiary becomes disabled. Individuals who have special needs and receive federal support have limits on assets. If a beneficiary becomes disabled, an estate planning attorney can create a Special Needs Trust, naming the trust as a beneficiary and keeping any future assets from being countable and making them ineligible for benefits.

Reference: Aiken Standard (Jan. 7, 2023) “On the Money: Do not disinherit your loved ones”

Some Expenses are Paid by Estate and Some by Beneficiary

Some Expenses are Paid by Estate and Some by Beneficiary

Settling an estate can be complex and time-consuming—it all depends on how much “estate planning” was done. According to a recent article from yahoo! Finance titled “What Expenses Are Paid by the Estate vs. Beneficiary?,” the executor is the person who creates an inventory of assets, determines which expenses need to be paid and distributes the remainder of the estate to the deceased’s beneficiaries. How does the executor know which monies are paid by the estate and which by the beneficiaries?

First, let’s establish what kind of expenses an estate pays. The main expenses of an estate include:

Outstanding debts. The executor has to notify creditors of the decedent’s death and the creditors then may make a claim against the estate. Because a person dies doesn’t mean their debts disappear—they become the debts of the estate.

Taxes. There are many different taxes to be paid when a person dies, including estate, inheritance and income tax. The federal estate tax is not an issue, unless the estate value exceed the exemption limit of $12.92 million for 2023. Not all states have inheritance taxes, so check with a local estate planning attorney to learn if the beneficiaries will need to pay this tax. If the decedent has an outstanding property tax bill for real estate property, the estate will need to pay it to avoid a lien being placed on the property.

Fees. There are court fees to file documents including a will to start the probate process, to serve notice to creditors or record transfer of property with the local register of deeds. The executor is also entitled to collect a fee for their services.

Maintaining real estate property. If the estate includes real estate, it is likely there will be expenses for maintenance and upkeep until the property is either distributed to heirs or sold. There may also be costs involved in transporting property to heirs.

Final expenses. Unless the person has pre-paid for all of their funeral, burial, cremation, or internment costs, these are considered part of estate expenses. They are often paid out of the death benefit associated with the deceased person’s life insurance policy.

What expenses does the estate pay?

The estate pays outstanding debts, including credit cards, medical bills, or liens.

  • Appraisals needed to establish values of estate assets
  • Repairs or maintenance for real estate
  • Fees paid to professionals associated with settling the estate, including executor, estate planning attorney, accountant, or real estate agent
  • Taxes, including income tax, estate tax and property tax
  • Fees to obtain copies of death certificates

The executor must keep detailed records of any expenses paid out of estate assets. The executor is the only person entitled by law to see the decedent’s financial records. However, beneficiaries have the right to review financial estate account records.

What does the beneficiary pay?

This depends on how the estate was structured and if any special provisions are included in the person’s will or trust. Generally, expect to pay:

  • Final expenses not covered by the estate
  • Personal travel expenses
  • Legal expenses, if you decide to contest the will
  • Property maintenance or transportation costs not covered by the estate

Some of the expenses are deductible, and the executor must use IRS Form 1041 on any estate earning more than $600 in income or which has a nonresident alien as a beneficiary.

An estate planning attorney is needed to create a comprehensive estate plan addressing these and other issues in advance. If little or no planning was done before the decedent’s death, an estate planning attorney will also be an important resource in navigating through the estate’s settlement.

Reference: yahoo! finance (Dec. 29, 2022) “What Expenses Are Paid by the Estate vs. Beneficiary?”

Can You Prevent Will from Being Contested?

Can You Prevent Will from Being Contested?

The best planning doesn’t preclude disappointed family members and hangers-on from trying to get what they consider their “fair share” of an estate or will.

There are some steps you can take to avoid this happening to your estate, says a recent article, “Counterattack: Tips for Thwarting a Will Contest,” from Kiplinger.

Traditionally, an in terrorem provision is added, known as a “no-contest” clause to a will or a revocable trust to discourage attacks. If triggered, it can cause an heir to lose their entire inheritance if the person is excluded from a will or trust, or if the person challenges the appointment of the personal representative or trustee or claims to be a creditor when the probate court has denied this status.

However, the no-contest provision isn’t always permitted. They are unenforceable in Florida and Indiana. In some courts, states may refuse to enforce them under certain fact scenarios. There are other ways to achieve the goal of excluding an heir or maintaining a firm grip on the estate.

Authorize personal representative or trustee to pay the cost of a potential contest. In some states, personal representatives and trustees are authorized to litigate on behalf of an estate or trust or retain attorneys to do so. Even when a potential heir is omitted from a will or trust, knowing the assets of the estate will be used for litigation expenses and will shrink the size of the estate is enough to deter some litigious people.

Require mediation for any disputes. Some states allow the use of mediation, arbitration, or alternative dispute resolutions to resolve issues. A will could require a potential challenger to use an alternative to litigation and provide guidelines for dispute mediation, from determining how mediators will be selected, whether the process should be adjudicatory or collaborative and the scope, timing and nature of mediation.

Establish a “litigation holdback fund.” Instead of forfeiting the entire interest in the estate by filing a lawsuit, the beneficiary’s interest in the estate could be escrowed, with access restricted during a will contest. When eventually paid to the beneficiary, the interest would be reduced by the cost of litigation.

Create a separate trust for a contentious beneficiary. The law requires beneficiaries the right to request a complete copy of the trust agreement created for their benefit. By creating revocable trusts for each beneficiary, the beneficiary named in one trust will not see the contents of the trust for other beneficiaries. This could prevent a disgruntled person from comparing their trust to another, but there is a risk of a beneficiary alleging a fraudulent transfer in creating separate trusts.

What else can you do to prevent a will contest?

  • Have the testator/settlor undergo an examination by two physicians to eliminate any charges of incapacity and provide the physician’s signed statements as scheduled to the will or trust.
  • Include a statement of intent from the testator/settlor about the estate plan to demonstrate their intentions.
  • Video the execution of the will or trust. Explain the dispositive scheme and inclusion of beneficiaries and obtain a signed statement from each witness and notary. Have a third party certify the video’s authenticity.

If you are concerned about protecting your estate plan, it’s best to meet with an experienced estate planning attorney to review your estate plan for any potential vulnerabilities. A plan in advance could save all concerned from the headache and expense of an estate battle.

Reference: Kiplinger (Nov. 10, 2022) “Counterattack: Tips for Thwarting a Will Contest”

What Happens to Digital Assets After Death?

What Happens to Digital Assets After Death?

What is a digital asset? This is the question asked in a recent article “Estate Planning for Digital Assets” from Westchester & Fairfield County Business Journals. Any type of electronic data you have the right to access is considered a digital asset, although they come in a variety of forms.

A digital asset now includes email accounts, social media, online banking, online subscriptions, e-commerce, photo stream, cell phone apps, gaming accounts and everything having to do with cryptocurrency. Don’t leave out airline miles or other loyalty program points.

When so much of our lives is online, we need to address estate planning for this new class of assets.

They are as important, and some might argue, even more important than traditional assets. They may have financial or sentimental value. If neglected, they are an easy entryway for hackers prying into financial accounts.

Consider your family photos. Most of us have these stored on the cloud, hoping they never disappear. However, when they do, they can be gone forever. The same could easily happen for accounts of gamers who are spending traditional money on games and building up online assets with monetary value.

Can you protect and organize digital assets?

Yes, absolutely. Start with a list of all digital accounts including URLs, usernames and passwords. You should also note whether access requires third-party authentication—a verification code from a phone number or an email address to log in.

Create some kind of list, whether on a spreadsheet (encrypted for security), using an online password manager or a digital asset app. Paper also works, as long as it’s kept in a secure location.

How do digital assets get incorporated into my estate plan?

In most states, your executor can be given the right to access online accounts through your will, or you can include digital asset access in a Power of Attorney. However, it’s not that simple. Certain digital platforms only allow the original user access, even with passwords and authentication codes. Each has a Terms of Service Agreement to protect your privacy and the platform.

Some platforms offer the ability to name a legacy contact who can gain access to your account and either delete it or memorialize it after you die. However, not all do. You’ll need to go through all of your digital accounts to determine which ones permit a legacy contact and the limitations given to the legacy contact.

To support any litigation arising from a platform refusing to allow access, leave specific instructions in for your executor or agent instructing them as to what you want done with your digital assets. This directive may give your executor or agent the support they need to go up against big data. Your estate planning attorney will know the laws in your state and help create a plan.

Reference: Westchester & Fairfield County Business Journals (July 18, 2022) “Estate Planning for Digital Assets”

Who Should Be Your Executor?

Who Should Be Your Executor?

While the executor is usually a spouse or close family member, you can name anyone you wish to be your executor. A bank, estate planning attorney, or professional trustee at a trust company may also serve as the executor, according to a recent article from Twin Cities-Pioneer Press titled “Your Money: What you need to know about naming an executor.”

Regardless of who you select, the person has a legal duty to be honest, impartial, financially responsible and to put your interests ahead of their own. This person and one or two backup candidates should be named in your will, just in case the primary executor declines or is unable to serve.

How does someone become an executor? When your will is entered into probate, the court checks to be sure the person you name meets all of your state’s legal requirements. Once the court approves (and usually the court does), then their role is official and you executor can get to work.

The executor has many responsibilities. You can help your executor do a better job by making sure that financial and personal business documents are organized and readily available. Here are some, but not all, of the executor’s tasks:

  • Making an inventory of all assets and liabilities
  • Giving notice to creditors: credit card companies, banks, mortgage companies, etc.
  • Filing a final personal tax return and filing the estate tax return
  • Paying any debts and taxes
  • Distributing assets according to the directions in the will and in compliance with state law
  • Preparing and submitting a detailed report to the court of how the estate was settled

If there is no will, or if no executor is named in the will, or if the executor can’t serve, the court will appoint a professional administrator to settle your estate. It won’t be someone you know. Your family may not like all of the decisions made on your behalf, but there won’t be any options available.

Does an executor get paid? A family member may or may not wish to be paid. However, given how much time it takes to settle an estate, you might feel it’s fair for them to be compensated. The amount varies depending on where you live, but you can leave the person between 1% to 8% of your total estate. A professional administrator will likely cost considerably more.

How do you document your estate to help out the executor? If you think this task is too onerous, imagine how a family member will feel if they have to conduct a scavenger hunt to identify assets and debts. If a professional administrator ends up doing this work, it will take a bigger bite out of your estate and leave loved ones with a smaller inheritance.

Start by making a list of all of your assets and liabilities, plus a list of all advisors who help with the business side of your life. Recent tax returns will be helpful, as will contact information for your estate planning attorney, CPA and financial advisor. You should include retirement accounts, life insurance policies and any assets without beneficiary designations.

Reference: Twin Cities-Pioneer Press (June 25, 2022) “Your Money: What you need to know about naming an executor”

Do You Want to Be an Executor?

Do You Want to Be an Executor?

Taking on the role of executor should be considered carefully before accepting or refusing. These decisions are usually made based on relationships and willingness to help the family after a loved one has died. Knowing certain processes are in place and many are standard procedures may make the decision easier, according to the useful article “Planning Ahead: Should you agree to serve as an executor?” from Daily Local News.

A family member or friend is very often asked to serve as executor when the surviving spouse is the only or primary beneficiary and not able to manage the necessary tasks. In other instances, estates are complex, involving multiple beneficiaries, charities and real estate in several states. The size of the estate is actually less of a factor when it comes to complexity. Small estates with debt can be more challenging than well-planned large estates, where planning has been done and there are abundant resources to address any problems.

Prepare while the person is alive. This is the time to learn as much as you can. Ask to get a copy of the will and read it. Who are the beneficiaries? Speak with the person about the relationships between beneficiaries and other family members. Do they get along, and if not, why? Be prepared for conflict.

Find out what the person wants for their funeral. Do they want a traditional memorial service, and have they paid for the funeral already? Any information they can provide will make this difficult time a little easier.

What are your responsibilities as executor? Depending on how the will is prepared, you may be responsible for everything, or your responsibilities may be limited. At the very least, the executor is responsible for:

  • Locating and preparing an inventory of assets
  • Getting a tax ID number and establishing an estate account
  • Paying final bills, including funeral and related bills
  • Notifying beneficiaries
  • Preparing tax returns, including estate and/or inheritance tax returns
  • Distributing assets and submitting a final accounting

If the person has an estate planning attorney, financial advisor and CPA, meeting with them while the person is alive and learning what you can about the plans for assets will be helpful. These three professional advisors will be able to provide help as you move forward with the estate.

These tasks may sound daunting but being asked to serve as a person’s executor demonstrates the complete trust they have in your abilities and judgment. Yes, you will breathe a sigh of relief when you complete the task. However, you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing you did a great service to someone who matters to you.

Reference: Daily Local News (June19, 2022) “Planning Ahead: Should you agree to serve as an executor?”

Senior Second Marriages and Estate Planning

Senior Second Marriages and Estate Planning

For seniors enjoying the romance and vitality of an unexpected late-in-life engagement, congratulations! Love is a wonderful thing, at any age. However, anyone remarrying for the second, or even third time, needs to address their estate planning as well as financial plans for the future. Pre-wedding planning can make a huge difference later in life, advises a recent article from Seniors Matter titled “Your senior parent is getting remarried—just don’t ignore key areas.”

A careful review of your will, powers of attorney, healthcare proxy, living will and any other advance directives should be made. If you have new dependents, your estate planning attorney will help you figure out how your children from a prior marriage can be protected, while caring for new members of the family. Failing to adjust your estate plan could easily result in disinheriting your own offspring.

Deciding how to address finances is best done before you say, “I do.” If one partner has more assets than the other, or if one has more debts, there will be many issues to resolve. Will the partner with more assets want to help resolve the debts, or should the debts be cleared up before the wedding? How will bills be paid? If both partners own homes, where will the newlyweds live?

Do you need a prenuptial agreement? This document is especially important when there are significant assets owned by one or both partners. One function of a prenup is to prevent one partner from challenging the other person’s will and trusts. There are a number of trusts designed to protect loved ones including the new spouse, among them the Qualified Terminable Interest Property Trust, known as a QTIP. This trust provides support for the new spouse. When the spouse dies, the entire trust is transferred to the persons named in the trust, usually children from a first marriage.

Most estate planning attorneys recommend two separate wills for people who wed later in life. This makes distribution of assets easier. Don’t neglect updating Powers of Attorney and any health care documents.

Before walking down the aisle, make an inventory, if you don’t already have one, of all accounts with designated beneficiaries. This should include life insurance policies, pensions, IRAs, 401(k)s, investment accounts and any other property with a beneficiary designation. Make sure that the accounts reflect your current circumstances.

Sooner or later, one or both spouses may need long-term care. Do either of you have long-term care insurance? If one of you needed to go into a nursing home or have skilled care at home, how would you pay for it? An estate planning attorney can help you create a plan for the future, which is necessary regardless of how healthy you may be right now.

Once you are married, Social Security needs to be updated with your new marital status and any name change. If a parent marries after full retirement age and their new spouse’s benefit is higher than their own, they may be able to increase their benefits to 50% of the new spouse’s benefits. If they were receiving divorced spousal benefits, those will end. The same goes for survivor benefits, if the person marries before age 60. If they’re disabled, they may still receive those benefits after age 60.

Setting up an appointment with an estate planning attorney a few months before a senior wedding is a good idea for all concerned. It provides an opportunity to review important legal and financial matters, while giving both spouses time to focus on the “business” side of love.

Reference: Seniors Matter (April 29, 2022) “Your senior parent is getting remarried—just don’t ignore key areas”

Can Grandchildren Receive Inheritances?

Can Grandchildren Receive Inheritances?

Wanting to take care of the youngest and most vulnerable members of our families is a loving gesture from grandparents. However, minor children are not legally allowed to own property.  With the right strategies and tools, your estate plan can include grandchildren, says a recent article titled “Elder Care: How to provide for your youngest heirs” from the Longview News-Journal.

If a beneficiary designation on a will, insurance policy or other account lists the name of a minor child, your estate will take longer to settle. A person will need to be named as a guardian of the estate of the minor child, which takes time. The guardian may not be the child’s parent.

The parent of a minor child may not invest and grow any funds, which in some states are required to be deposited in a federally insured account. Periodic reports must be submitted to the court, and audits will need to be done annually. Guardianship requires extensive reporting and any monies spent must be accounted for.

When the child becomes of legal age, usually 18, the entire amount is then distributed to the child. Few children are mature enough at age 18, even though they think they are, to manage large sums of money. Neither the guardian nor the parent nor the court has any say in what happens to the funds after they are transferred to the child.

There are many other ways to transfer assets to a minor child to provide more control over how the money is managed and how and when it is distributed.

One option is to leave it to the child’s parent. This takes out the issue of court involvement but may has a few drawbacks: the parent has full control of the asset, with no obligation for it to be set aside for the child’s needs. If the parents divorce or have debt, the money is not protected.

Many states have Uniform Transfers to Minors Accounts. In Pennsylvania, it is PUTMA, in New York, UTMA and in California, CUTMA. Gifts placed in these accounts are held in custodianship until the child reaches 18 (or 21, depending on state law) and the custodian has a duty to manage the property prudently. Some states have limits on the amount in the accounts, and if the designated custodian passes away before the child reaches legal age, court proceedings may be necessary to name a new custodian. A creditor could file a petition with the court if there is a debt.

For most people, a trust is the best option for placing funds aside for a minor child. The trust can be established during the grandparent’s lifetime or through a testamentary trust after probate of their will is complete. The trust contains directions as to how the money is to be spent: higher education, summer camp, etc. A trustee is named to manage the trust, which may or may not be a parent. If a parent is named trustee, it is important to ensure that they follow the directions of the trust and do not use the property as if it were their own.

A trust allows the assets to be restricted until a child reaches an age of maturity, setting up distributions for a portion of the account at staggered ages, or maintaining the trust with limited distributions throughout their lives. A trust is better to protect the assets from creditors, more so than any other method.

A trust for a grandchild can be designed to anticipate the possibility of the child becoming disabled, in which case government benefits would be at risk in the event of a lump sum payment.

There are many options for leaving money to a minor, depending upon the family’s circumstances. In all cases, a conversation with an experienced estate planning attorney will help to ensure any type of gift is protected and works with the rest of the estate plan.

Reference: Longview News-Journal (Feb. 25, 2022) “Elder Care: How to provide for your youngest heirs”