What is the difference between a living trust and a living will?

A living trust and a living will are two very different estate planning tools available to Californians. A living trust is a legal document that helps you manage your assets and provide for your loved ones after you have passed away. The trust allows you to control who receives your assets and in what manner after your death. A living will, however, is not a legal document that can be used to manage your assets. A living will is a document that outlines your preferences and decisions about medical treatments should you become unable to communicate them due to an illness or injury. It allows you to communicate your wishes for life-sustaining treatments in the event that you are unable to speak for yourself. In short, a living trust is a legal document that helps you control your assets after death, and a living will is a document that helps you express your wishes for medical treatments in the event you cannot speak for yourself. Both of these documents can be important to estate planning in California.

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