TrustFunding Blog
Insights for Estate Planning Law Firms
Practical guidance on funding client trusts, deed transfers, account retitling, and the operational side of running a modern estate planning practice.
What Is a Pour-Over Will and How It Relates to Trust Funding
A pour-over will is a safety net—not a funding strategy. Learn what it is, how it works with trust funding, and why relying on it exposes clients to probate.
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First Party vs. Third Party Special Needs Trust: What Estate Planning Attorneys Need to Know
Understand the critical differences between first party vs third party special needs trusts—funding sources, Medicaid payback rules, and common mistakes.
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Trust Funding Checklist for Paralegals: A Step-by-Step Workflow
A trust funding checklist for paralegals covering every asset type — real property, financial accounts, beneficiary designations, and post-signing follow-up.
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Malpractice Risk of Unfunded Trusts: What Every Estate Planning Attorney Needs to Know
Unfunded trusts create real attorney malpractice exposure. Learn the standard of care, what courts have found, and how to protect your firm.
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Signed Trust Not Funded: Consequences Every Estate-Planning Firm Must Understand
A signed trust without funded assets fails at every critical moment. Learn the signed trust not funded consequences for clients and professional liability for firms.
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What Is a Bypass Trust? A Law Firm's Guide to Credit Shelter Planning
A bypass trust shelters assets from estate tax at the first spouse's death. Learn how it works, when it's still needed in 2026, and how to fund it correctly.
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What Is an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT)? A Guide for Estate-Planning Attorneys
An irrevocable life insurance trust removes policy proceeds from the taxable estate — but only if it's funded correctly. Here's what estate-planning attorneys need to know.
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Trust Funding Mistakes Law Firms Make (And How to Prevent Them)
The trust funding mistakes law firms make most often aren't planning errors — they're operational gaps. Here's what goes wrong and how to build a process that prevents it.
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Why Trust Funding Is Critical in Estate Planning (And What Happens When It's Skipped)
An unfunded trust fails your client. Learn why trust funding is critical in estate planning, the malpractice exposure for firms, and how to close the gap.
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Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts: What the Difference Means for How You Fund Them
The revocable/irrevocable distinction isn't just legal theory—it drives entirely different funding mechanics, timelines, and risk profiles. Here's what that means for your firm.
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Estate Planning News Roundup: June 2026 — Five Updates Law Firms Need This Week
Washington's estate tax rate drops July 1, New York's $7.35M cliff, IRS e-filing for Form 709, the Oregon ballot initiative, and the post-OBBBA funding backlog — estate planning news June 2026 for law firms.
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Trust Funding for Business Owners: What the Operating Agreement Reveals
When a client's LLC operating agreement hasn't been reviewed in a decade, trust funding for business owners gets complicated fast. Here's what one matter looked like from inside the file.
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Estate Planning News Roundup: May 2026 — What Law Firms Need to Know Right Now
Five estate planning news developments reshaping client conversations in May 2026 — the $15M federal exemption, formula clause traps, state tax shifts, and rising trust funding volume.
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What Actually Happens After You Sign Off on a Blended Family Trust Plan
Attorneys hand off the file and move on. Here's what the paralegal inherits—and what it actually costs the firm when no one tracks the hours.
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