Are you looking for a trust lawyer in Glendale, CA?
At The Werner Law Firm, PC, we have built our trust practice on five decades of client representation across California.
If you are looking for a way to protect your assets and pass them on smoothly, a trust may be the right tool for the job. Our Glendale, CA trust lawyer can help you choose the right kind of trust and prepare it correctly. The Werner Law Firm, PC has drafted trusts for California families since 1975, and our founder brings fifty years of practice to this work. Your first consultation is free, and it comes with no obligation.
A trust is a legal arrangement that lets one party, the trustee, hold and manage property for the benefit of another. You set the terms: what goes into the trust, who benefits from it, and how the trustee must handle it. Because a trust can hold your assets and pass them on according to your instructions, it is one of the most flexible tools in estate planning.
Trusts are not all alike. Some avoid probate, some protect assets, some provide for a person over many years, and some do more than one of these at once. A trust attorney in Glendale can walk you through the options and recommend a structure that fits what you are trying to accomplish, rather than defaulting to a single standard form. Trusts are also more versatile than most people realize. The same basic tool that helps a family avoid probate can, in another form, protect a beneficiary with a disability or hold property for children.
Trusts come in several forms, and each is suited to a different goal. Our Glendale trust lawyers help you weigh the options and choose the structure that actually fits your goals. These are the types our Glendale attorneys work with most often.
Living trusts. A living trust holds your assets during your life and passes them to your beneficiaries without probate. It is the most common trust for California families, and it keeps your affairs private by avoiding the public probate record.
Revocable trusts. A revocable trust can be amended or revoked while you are alive, which keeps you in full control. Most living trusts are revocable, which is part of why they appeal to families who want to stay in control.
Irrevocable trusts. An irrevocable trust gives up some control in exchange for asset protection or tax advantages. Whether a trust is revocable or irrevocable shapes what it can do.
Special needs trusts. These provide for a beneficiary with a disability without putting their public benefits at risk.
Testamentary trusts. A testamentary trust is created through a will and takes effect after death, often to hold assets for young beneficiaries until they are older.
Asset protection trusts. An asset protection trust is designed to shield certain assets from future claims, and it suits particular circumstances. We explain when one is worth the added complexity.
Trust administration. After a death, the successor trustee follows the trust administration process, and we guide trustees through their duties step by step.
A trust lives or dies on its details, from the drafting to the funding. We work to get every part of it right.
The Werner Law Firm, PC has drafted and administered trusts for California families since 1975. Our founder, L. Rob Werner, has practiced for fifty years and is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, which serves the county that includes Glendale. Our managing attorney, Troy Werner, brings 17 years of practice and admission in both California and Texas. As a trust lawyer in Glendale, CA, our firm can match the right trust to your circumstances. Over five decades we have prepared trusts of every kind, from simple living trusts to more involved arrangements, and we bring that range to each new client. Clients who want a full plan can also work with an estate planning lawyer in Glendale, CA at our office.
Much of our work comes from clients we have served before and the people they refer to us. Every trust begins with a free consultation and a clear explanation of what it will accomplish. Our Glendale trust attorneys aim to leave you with a document you understand and can rely on.
Trusts can sound formal and technical, but the idea at the center of them is simple: someone you trust holds property and manages it for someone's benefit under rules you set. Once that clicks, the different types make far more sense. There is a reason trusts have a reputation as a tool for the wealthy, but that reputation is dated. Families of ordinary means use them every day.
A trust involves three roles, and one person can fill more than one of them.
The grantor creates the trust and transfers assets into it.
The trustee manages those assets under the terms of the trust.
The beneficiary receives what the trust provides.
While you are alive and able, you usually serve as your own grantor, trustee, and beneficiary, naming a successor trustee to take over later. When the roles start to blur, the difference between a trustor and trustee is worth understanding, and we take the time to make it plain. This flexibility in who holds each role is what lets a single tool serve very different goals from one family to the next.
Setting up a trust is only half the work. Keeping it effective is the other half, and a few things decide whether yours does its job. A signed trust that never gets funded is one of the most common and costly mistakes we see.
Funding it by transferring your assets into the trust's name. Without funding the trust, even a well-drafted trust does very little.
Naming a trustee who is reliable and equal to the responsibility.
Reviewing the trust as your circumstances change over time.
Coordinating it with your will and your beneficiary designations.
Because a funded trust can pass assets to your family without court involvement, it is a common way to avoid probate, which saves both time and expense for the people you leave behind.
Most trusts are ready within a few weeks, and funding can continue after signing.
A consultation to review your assets, your family, and your goals.
A recommendation on the type of trust that fits your situation.
Drafting of the trust and any supporting documents.
A signing appointment where the documents are notarized.
Funding the trust by moving your assets into it.
Straightforward trusts move quickly, while estates with business interests or property in more than one state take more time to complete. We give you a realistic sense of the timeline at the first meeting, once we understand what your estate involves.
A little preparation helps us give you clear guidance from the first meeting.
A list of your assets, including real estate, financial accounts, and business interests.
Any existing will, trust, or power of attorney you have already signed.
The names of the people you want as beneficiaries and as trustee.
You don't need everything in hand to begin. We can start with what you have and identify what is missing as we go. There is no need to wait until every decision is made before you reach out. A short conversation is often enough to show which kind of trust, if any, fits your goals.
Trusts are governed by California law and, in some situations, by federal tax rules. These public resources can help you understand the basics before or after you meet with an attorney.
The California Courts self-help guide on wills and estates introduces trusts and how they relate to probate.
The same guide offers sample legal documents you can review.
The full California Probate Code is published by the state for those who want the statutes themselves.
The IRS explains how trusts are taxed and which returns a trust may need to file.
These resources offer general information, not advice about your own trust and family.
A trust can protect what you have worked for and make things easier for the people who follow you. We would be glad to explain which kind of trust fits your goals and answer whatever questions come up. Your first consultation is free, with no pressure to decide right away. Contact us to get started.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship! See full disclaimer here.
23 Corporate Plaza Dr., Suite 150
Newport Beach, California 92660
