How to File a Living Trust
- 1). Prepare and create your living trust. You will need to know the following information: name of the trust, grantor, grantor's Social Security number, trustee, trustee's Social Security number (if you are managing your own trust, the grantor and trustee will be you), and the beneficiaries, your assets, which beneficiaries will get which assets and any special requirements needed for the trust.
- 2). Fund your living trust. To do this you must put the assets laid out in the trust in the name of the trust. For money this is as simple as transferring your money to the trust. For property, you must change the owner of the property from your name to the name of the trust. Anything you do not transfer will not be a part of the trust.
- 3). Present your trust to a notary to sign. Your trust may or may not even require this step, as the laws of living trusts are different in different states, but it is a good idea to have proof that this document was signed.
- 4). Register your living trust by visiting a local probate court. Once again, different states have different requirements and some do not even offer this kind of registration service. Discuss with your lawyer which court you should visit and the specific steps in your state. Most likely is that the court will present you with a simple form that you can turn in to complete your registration.
