Living Trust Vs Will In Virginia

As a general rule for relatively simple virginia estates with no real property outside of virginia a will plan will almost always be more cost effective and efficient than a living trust plan.

Living trust vs will in virginia.

Virginia does not have its own estate tax but federal estate taxes still apply in virginia. While the state of virginia doesn t place an estate tax on estates it does have a federal estate tax that applies to any estate that is over 5 million dollars. If you d like any of the above to be included in your estate or intestate succession in the absence of a will you can simply name your estate as the beneficiary. A trust can provide creditor protection for the inheritance you leave to beneficiaries a will cannot.

To be an heir under virginia intestate succession you must have outlived the decedent by at least 120 hours. 11 million are exempt from estate taxes. An overview you can t take it with you when you go while this familiar statement is true you can and should do your best to control your assets from beyond the grave. A living trust won t protect any assets from estate taxes.

Beginning in 2018 and until at least 2025 as a result of the tax cuts and jobs act. A living trust at least theoretically provides for a smoother transition of management and ownership of property. You cannot do this with a will however you can also make a durable power of attorney to appoint someone to manage your finances. The grantor retains the right to amend or revoke the trust and is often a trustee and a beneficiary of the trust during his or her lifetime.

This question is one that we receive all the time especially with services like legal zoom pushing do it yourself wills and other firms pressing the need for everyone to have an expensive trust in lieu of or in addition to a will. Chairman since 1995 and the virginia retirement system 2000 2005. Virginia beach law group is here to answer all the questions you have about estate planning. Living trusts and estate taxes in virginia.

In a living trust you can name your spouse partner child or other trusted person to have authority over trust property if you become incapacitated and unable to manage your own affairs. If one owns real property in several states and or has serious privacy concerns about the will being recorded perhaps the living trust would work better. Trusts cannot protect your assets from estate tax. However it doesn t offer the same benefits that trust will provide.