Do I actually need a trust, or is a will enough for my situation?

Illustrative — not a real business

A will alone directs how your assets are distributed, but it has to go through probate — a court process that is public, and in some states, slow and costly. A revocable living trust avoids probate entirely for assets titled in its name, keeps your affairs private, and can make things considerably smoother for your family, but it requires the extra step of actually retitling assets into the trust, which many people skip and which then defeats the purpose. As a general guide, a trust becomes clearly worth the added cost and complexity once you own real estate, especially in more than one state, once your estate is large enough that probate costs and delay would be meaningful, or if your family situation is not simple — a blended family, a beneficiary who cannot manage an inheritance directly, or a wish for real privacy. If your estate is modest, all your assets are in one state with simple beneficiary designations, and your family situation is straightforward, a well-drafted will alone can genuinely be enough, and we will tell you that rather than sell you a trust you do not need.