Trusts -- do you really need to have one?

[iris lilies]

My mother-in-law and father-in-law have both passed away during the last 2 years. Each had a trust set up.

This has made things *so much easier* for me in dealing with their estates. Dozens of pesky trips/phone calls/arguments to deal with the business of shutting down someone's financial life are so much simpler.

That was my main goal—make it as easy as possible for those left behind. If our assets are maximized is a purely secondary concern.

I believe changes in my state and probably others over the past dozen years allow a revocable trust to be an easy thing to set up, maintain, and carry out. I wouldnt be surprised if one could do it without an attorney, but thats not something I would attempt without professional advice.