From Trusts to Probate: How Meghan Avila Law Serves You
At Meghan Avila Law, we guide clients through every facet of estate law: from creating and managing trusts to navigating probate when needed. Whether you want to protect your legacy, minimize family conflict, or ensure your wishes come to fruition, we serve you every step of the way.
Below you’ll find how our services connect trust creation, trust administration, and probate support—ensuring a smooth, comprehensive legal plan.
Why Trusts Matter in an Estate Plan
A trust gives you more control over how your assets are handled during life and after death. Unlike a will, a properly funded trust can avoid probate and reduce delays. Trusts let you:
- Direct when and how beneficiaries receive assets
- Protect assets from mismanagement or external claims
- Organize distributions in stages (for children, future generations, or special circumstances)
- Keep your affairs private (versus public probate records)
We help design revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, special needs trusts, and more—custom fit to your goals.
Trust Administration: Carrying Out Your Vision
Once a trust is in place, it needs active oversight. Here’s how we serve in trust administration:
- Guide trustees in fulfilling their duties and boundaries
- Oversee asset distribution in line with trust terms
- Manage trust changes or terminations if circumstances shift
- Handle accounting, reports to beneficiaries, and compliance
Through clear communication and careful monitoring, we help trustees execute your vision faithfully.
When Probate Becomes Necessary
Even with thoughtful planning, probate sometimes becomes unavoidable—especially if assets were left out of the trust or planning was incomplete. In those scenarios:
- We assist executors and personal representatives with filings, notices, and inventories
- We deal with creditor claims, beneficiary objections, and estate accounting
- We represent clients in contested will or trust disputes
- We work to reduce delays, cost, and emotional strain on family
By combining strong trust work with skilled probate support, we offer full coverage no matter what your situation demands.
How Trusts and Probate Work Together
Our integrated approach links your trust strategy with probate contingencies so that:
- You limit what goes through probate by funding your trust and coordinating titles
- You ensure backup will provisions catch assets left out
- You reduce conflict by clarifying your intentions and responsibilities for trustees and executors
- You maintain a fallback path (probate) that’s handled with care if needed
Because we understand both sides, we design plans robust enough to adapt to life’s surprises.
Client Journey: How We Work with You
1. Discovery & Strategy
We begin by exploring your goals, family dynamics, assets, and concerns. We offer a roadmap—trusts where appropriate, probate plans where needed.
2. Trust Drafting & Implementation
We draft your trust documents, assist in funding assets into the trust, and coordinate with your financial advisors or institutions. We also prepare wills or “pour‑over” wills to catch remaining assets.
3. Trustee & Beneficiary Guidance
We train trustees on legal duties and help beneficiaries understand their rights. We remain available to resolve questions or manage conflicts before they escalate.
4. Probate Support (If Needed)
If assets fall outside trusts or disputes arise, we step in to navigate probate—filing, defending, distributing, or litigating as needed.
5. Ongoing Revision
Life changes. We revisit your trust and estate plan when you marry, divorce, acquire property, or face health shifts. We make adjustments to stay aligned with your goals.
What Sets Meghan Avila Law Apart
- We deliver end‑to‑end service, from trusts to probate—no gaps
- We treat your matters with empathy, clarity, and precision
- We keep you informed and engaged in every step
- We design legally sound structures that align with your values
- We adapt your plan as your life evolves
Clients often tell us they felt relief knowing their estate work is handled from start to finish.
