AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO LIVING TRUSTS IN NEW YORK: PART 1 OF 3

A living trust allows the person creating the trust to set aside money or property within the trust for the benefit of others by appointing a trustee to administer the trust and ensure the trust property is distributed to the beneficiaries. If you are the person creating a living trust, you are known as the grantor, owner or settlor of the living trust. A living trust is also known as a revocable inter vivos trust.

A testamentary trust, on the other hand, becomes operative after your death, pursuant to your will. Testamentary trusts typically go through probate. Aliving trust earns its name from the fact that you as the grantor of the trust created it while you were alive and it becomes effective before your death. After your death, your living trust may continue to operate as long as you comply with the New York Estates, Trusts and Powers Law when creating one.

Your attorney may also decide to create a “pour-over” will that allows any other property to pour-over into your trust after your death. However, the property that may pour-over from your will into your living trust will still have to go through probate. It typically becomes public record as soon as your personal representative or trustee submits it for probate. In this case, your living trust and your will become part of the New York Surrogate Court’s public records accessible by public request.

Check in with us tomorrow to read Part 2 of An Insider’s Guide to Living Trusts in New York.