Frank and Diane had built a good life together. A home in San Antonio, a vacation cabin in the Hill Country, some investments, and three adult kids they were proud of. When they came to see me, they weren’t sick or worried — they were just organized people who wanted to make sure everything was in order.
What they described was a situation I recognized: assets in two different places, kids spread across three states, and a deep preference for keeping their affairs private.
A will would have worked. But it would have meant probate — potentially in two states, since the cabin was in a different county. It would have meant their assets and distributions becoming part of a public court record. And it would have meant a delay before their kids could access anything.
A revocable living trust was a better fit.
We transferred their home and the cabin into the trust. Frank and Diane remained in full control — they could sell, refinance, or change their minds about any of it at any time. Nothing about their daily lives changed. The trust sat quietly in the background.
When Frank passed away a few years later, Diane stepped into her role as sole trustee without any court involvement. She managed everything herself. When she passed, their daughter — named as successor trustee — distributed the assets to her siblings within a matter of weeks.
No courthouse. No newspaper notices. No waiting.
Their kids always said their parents’ greatest gift was keeping things simple.
That’s what good planning looks like.