Wills & Trusts Attorney in Connecticut
Clear, properly drafted documents that actually reflect what you want — and the guidance to know which ones you need.
A will or a trust sounds like a simple document, but most families have the same two questions before they ever sit down to write one: do I actually need one, and which one. The honest answer is that it depends on your family, your assets, and what you're trying to accomplish — which is exactly what a proper consultation is for. This page covers the basics of each tool so you can walk into that conversation already informed.
Why These Documents Matter
Without a will or trust in place, Connecticut's default rules decide what happens to your estate — rules that don't know your family, your wishes, or your relationships. A properly drafted will or trust lets you decide who receives what, who takes care of minor children, and who's in charge of carrying it all out, instead of leaving those decisions to a statutory formula.
Last Will and Testament
A will is the foundational estate planning document. It lets you name an executor, specify how your property is distributed, and — critically, for parents of minor children — name a guardian. A will does not avoid probate; it simply directs how the probate process distributes your assets. For a full walkthrough of what that process looks like in Connecticut, see our probate guide.
Revocable Living Trusts
A revocable living trust is a separate legal entity that you create, fund by transferring assets into it, and typically control yourself during your lifetime (often as your own trustee). Because the trust — not you personally — owns those assets, they generally pass to your beneficiaries without going through probate. You can amend or revoke the trust at any time, which is what makes it "revocable."
What a revocable living trust does not do is protect assets from Medicaid spend-down or from creditors — because you retain full control, the law still treats those assets as yours. That protection comes from a different, irrevocable tool. If long-term care and Medicaid eligibility are part of what you're planning for, see our guide to Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts, which explains that distinction in detail.
| Will | Revocable Living Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Avoids probate | No | Generally yes, for assets properly funded into it |
| Can be changed | Yes, anytime | Yes, anytime (that's what makes it "revocable") |
| Names a guardian for minor children | Yes | No — a pour-over will still handles this |
| Protects assets from Medicaid spend-down | No | No |
| Keeps estate details private | No — probate is a public record | Generally yes |
Which Do You Need?
Most people need at least a will. Whether a trust makes sense on top of that usually comes down to whether avoiding probate, keeping your affairs private, or managing assets for a beneficiary over time matters enough to justify the added complexity of creating and funding a trust. There's no one-size-fits-all answer — it's worth a conversation about your specific assets and goals rather than guessing from a blog post.
How We Work With You
Let's Figure Out What Your Family Actually Needs
Attorney Christopher Greenwood has spent over 40 years helping Connecticut families put the right documents in place.
Schedule a Consultation (203) 375-4040Frequently Asked Questions
Generally yes. Most people with a trust also sign a short "pour-over" will, which directs any assets not already transferred into the trust to go there after death. It acts as a backstop in case something was missed, and it's also where you'd name a guardian for minor children, which a trust alone doesn't do.
Your estate passes under Connecticut's intestacy laws, which follow a fixed formula for who inherits — a spouse, children, or other relatives, in a specific order set by statute. That formula may not match what you would have actually wanted, and it does not let you name a guardian for minor children or an executor of your choosing.
Assets properly transferred into a revocable living trust during your lifetime generally bypass the probate process for those specific assets, since the trust — not you individually — technically owns them. The trust remains revocable, meaning you can change or dissolve it at any time, and it does not provide Medicaid or creditor protection the way an irrevocable trust can.
As a general guideline, review your estate planning documents after any major life event — marriage, divorce, a new child or grandchild, a significant change in assets, or the death of a named executor or trustee — and periodically even without a specific trigger, since laws and circumstances both change over time.
Related reading: Probate in Connecticut: What to Expect · Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts in Connecticut · Medicaid Planning Services
Put the Right Documents in Place
Whether it's a first will or a full trust-based plan, let's figure out what actually fits your family.
Call: (203) 375-4040