Do you need a Family Trust? Maybe, maybe not. Atticus Legal, Family Trust Lawyers Hamilton, can advise whether or not a family trust is right for you. It’s not necessarily right for everyone.

What is a family trust? How is it different from a will? What are the benefits of a family trust? Are there alternatives to a family trust? All of these questions and more are answered in the article on Family Trusts by Atticus Legal, Family Trust Lawyers Hamilton  on our website at  https://atticuslegal.co.nz/2016/09/family-trust/

As family trust lawyers Hamilton, Atticus Legal have all the answers for you. We have more than 25 years experience in setting up family trusts and wills and advising clients on estate planning in general.

What Is a Family Trust and Is It Right for Me?

When you come to Atticus Legal, family trust lawyers Hamilton, the first thing we do is find out about your circumstances and your desired outcomes. A family trust is not for everyone. If you come to us wanting a family trust but we don’t think its right for you (or if there are better or cheaper alternatives that can achieve your aims) we’ll tell you so. Some lawyers over the years have been ‘flogging’ family trusts as if they were the answer to everything! It just isn’t so.

We’ll give you personalised advice that’s right for you. It really depends on what you are trying to achieve. And the set up of a family trust comes at a cost. So you need to measure the costs against the benefits.

For guidance on what may be suitable alternatives to a family trust that may suit your circumstances see our general article on estate planning on our website at https://atticuslegal.co.nz/2016/09/estate-planning/

Very briefly, the main estate planning options are a family trust, a will (either an ordinary will or a life interest will) and possibly a relationship property contracting out agreement to ‘spread’ assets and/or income.

As you will know, a will is a document that sets out a person’s wishes for how their estate will be handled after that they die. Up until death, the creator of the will remains the owner of his/her property. After you die your will first needs to go through probate. Probate is a court process where the will is reviewed and ruled valid or invalid.

A family trust can lead to a similar outcome: distributing a person’s assets to their family, friends and loved ones after death. But a family trust also operates during your lifetime, as explained in our above-mentioned article on family trusts. A family trust functions differently than a will in that the trustees take ownership of the settlor’s assets during his/her lifetime. With a will, the will-maker retains possession of his or her assets until death. With a trust, the trustees own the assets but the settlor usually retains control by having the power to appoint and remove trustees, which is the ultimate control over the trust.  The settlor of a family trust can add assets to the trust over time during his/her lifetime and also through his/her will upon death..

Atticus Legal,family trust lawyers Hamilton, can help you through the process. We’ve done it many times before so you’ll be in safe hands.

Meet with Atticus Legal, Family Trust Lawyers Hamilton to Find out More

The information provided above and in our above-mentioned article on family trusts gives you a taste of how family trusts work. But there’s a lot more you need to know. The first question is really, do you need a family trust? The answer maybe yes or no.  Atticus Legal,  family trust lawyers Hamilton, can help you answer that question. Call Atticus Legal on 07 839 4558 to schedule a meeting to discuss.