Do I Need a Trust or Is a Will Enough?
Decide whether a will is enough or a trust belongs in the estate-planning conversation, with a Trust Advisor scenario for a young family.
Trust Structure Recommender
Learn more about this calculator
There are 18 commonly-used trust structures and most people only know about two. The Trust Recommender scores all of them against your situation — your assets, family structure, charitable intent, business ownership, and creditor concerns — and explains which ones are worth talking to an estate attorney about.
This is a "what to ask the lawyer" tool. It doesn't replace an estate attorney; it makes the first meeting much shorter and cheaper.
What this calculator covers
Use these as a quick scope check before you rely on the output.
- •18 trust structures scored
- •Family-structure and asset inputs
- •Charitable intent and creditor-protection inputs
- •Plain-language explanation of each match
- •Direct hand-off to the Advisor Recommender
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a will, a revocable living trust, or both?
Many people still need a will, powers of attorney, and health-care documents even if they also use a revocable living trust. A trust can help with probate, privacy, and control, but it is not the whole estate plan.
What is probate, and what does a trust avoid?
Probate is the court-supervised process for transferring assets after death. A properly funded trust can help some assets pass outside probate, but state rules, account titles, and beneficiary designations still matter.
What does funding a trust mean?
Funding means moving assets into the trust or coordinating beneficiary designations so the trust actually controls them. Signing a trust document without funding it may not avoid probate for those assets.
Can this tell me the legally correct trust for my state?
No. It is an educational recommender that narrows the conversation for an estate attorney. State law, taxes, Medicaid rules, family facts, and drafting details control the final answer.
Will a revocable living trust avoid estate taxes or protect assets?
Usually no. A revocable living trust can help with probate, privacy, and continuity, but it generally does not remove assets from your taxable estate or protect them from your own creditors. Irrevocable structures are different and need attorney guidance.
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