I like a Will better, but . . . ?
I prefer a Will to a Trust. I think of a Will as a personal document. It’s about the end of my life. It tells a story. I can name the recipients of my estate and my most cherished possessions. I can speak words of wisdom and love. I don’t get the same warm feeling from a Trust.
A Trust is a much longer document; it is technical; difficult to read and understand; unwieldly; devoid of sentiment and warmth; stresses financial matters; full of rules; requires roles played by three people (all of whom can be me). If it were not for the advantage that a Trust keeps my estate out of probate court, which is expensive and slow, I would have a Will and not a Trust.
Yet, I understand that a Will accompanies a Trust. But it is not quite the same as the traditional Will. It is sometimes called a Pour-Over Will. It puts any asset that I did not transfer to my Trust during my lifetime into my Trust at death. The Pour-Over Will is an important document.
I like the feel of a Will. But a Trust is more effective. I choose both documents.