Online Estate Planning Services — Create Your Will & Trust

The cost to set up a trust varies depending on complexity, ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 for standard revocable living trusts, with more complex irrevocable or special needs trusts potentially costing more. At Sentinel, we coordinate the 98% of estate planning that doesn't require legal fees—organizing accounts, beneficiary designations, and titling. When trusts are needed, we collaborate with estate attorneys to ensure the legal instruments align with your financial plan, minimizing overall costs while maximizing protection.

The best trust depends on your goals. Revocable living trusts offer flexibility and probate avoidance, while irrevocable trusts provide asset protection and tax benefits. Special needs trusts preserve government benefits for disabled beneficiaries, and generation-skipping trusts protect multi-generational wealth. We analyze your family structure, tax situation, and legacy intentions to recommend the trust type that best protects your assets, minimizes taxes, and ensures your wishes are honored efficiently and gracefully.

A basic estate plan—including will, beneficiary designations, and account titling—can be coordinated in 4-6 weeks. More complex plans involving trusts, multi-state assets, or business succession may take 8-12 weeks. We work at your pace, ensuring every detail is thoughtfully structured. Our process includes reviewing existing documents, analyzing account ownership, coordinating with estate attorneys when needed, and stress-testing your plan to ensure it aligns with your goals and protects your family's future.

A will alone doesn't avoid probate or provide asset protection during incapacity. Trusts allow assets to transfer privately, immediately, and without court involvement, while also enabling tax planning and creditor protection. We review your current will, analyze your asset structure, and determine whether a trust would reduce probate costs, minimize estate taxes, or protect beneficiaries. For many families, combining a will with a properly funded trust creates the most comprehensive and efficient estate plan.

Estate laws vary by state, so moving may require updating beneficiary designations, trust provisions, or executor appointments to comply with new jurisdiction requirements. We serve clients across nine states and coordinate multi-state estate planning regularly. When you relocate, we review your documents for compliance with new state laws, update titling and tax strategies as needed, and ensure your plan remains aligned with your intentions regardless of where you live.

Revocable living trusts can be amended or revoked at any time during your lifetime, offering flexibility as your circumstances change. Irrevocable trusts generally cannot be modified without court approval or beneficiary consent, though some jurisdictions allow limited amendments. We design trusts with future flexibility in mind, building in provisions for changed circumstances like remarriage, new beneficiaries, or asset reallocation. We also review your trust regularly to ensure it continues reflecting your current wishes and financial reality.

Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts, life insurance, and annuities override your will, so they must be coordinated carefully. We audit all your accounts—401(k)s, IRAs, bank accounts, insurance policies—to ensure primary and contingent beneficiaries are current, aligned with your trust provisions, and structured to minimize estate taxes. Outdated or conflicting designations can unintentionally disinherit loved ones or trigger unnecessary taxes. We ensure every account works together toward your legacy goals.

Estate planning focuses on the technical transfer of assets—wills, trusts, taxes, and legal structures. Legacy planning goes deeper: it preserves your values, educates heirs, and establishes guardrails to protect wealth and family relationships across generations. We help you design staged inheritance structures, multi-generational trusts, and educational plans that empower rather than enable. Legacy planning ensures your wealth continues as a living reflection of your character, discipline, and love for those who follow.