Testamentary Trusts

Leave your beneficiaries more than a bequest.

This trust is established by provisions in your Will. It allows you the ability to pass estate property to a trustee after your death. The property is then managed or distributed by the trustee per your specific instructions.

By leaving all or portions of your estate in trust, your Will can add to your family’s financial security and peace of mind.

A trust for your spouse, if you’re married, can provide generous support if he/she survives you. What’s more, trusts frequently reduce federal estate taxes for husband and wife by reducing the tax exposure at the survivor’s death. When compared with the tax consequences if the first to die leaves a Will with no trust, the savings can be substantial.

When children or other beneficiaries are young and financially inexperienced, the need for a trust is clear. Your Will’s provisions need not be rigid. Trusts are appropriate whenever you want to leave someone the benefits of property without the burdens of its management.

A beneficiary need not be limited to the income from a trust fund. You can give the trustee discretion to draw on the fund itself in order to pay for a child’s education or maintain your spouse’s accustomed standard of living. Because we keep in close continuing contact with the families we serve, you’re assured these discretionary powers will be exercised with complete understanding of your wishes.