Should Your Living Trust Include Co-Trustees?

Published: July 7, 2019, 1:01 p.m.

Perhaps you have created a revocable living trust. Likely, you have named yourself as trustee, with a carefully-selected successor trustee. But should you consider having your living trust include co-trustees? Maybe you already have co-trustees -- you and your spouse, perhaps. Then the question is slightly different: should you "promote" your successor trustee to serve as a third co-trustee? Why would you do that? Primarily to avoid the necessity of later having to prove that you (and/or your spouse) are incapable of handling your own affairs. That could allow your designated successor to gradually take over financial functions. The alternative: you can wait until you have completely failed and then leave your successor trustee to pick up the pieces. Are there risks? Yes, of course. But if you don't trust your designated successor trustee, can we talk some more about your whole estate plan? In this podcast episode, we'll try to give you more information. Perhaps after you listen you will want your trust to include co-trustees.