What is a pour-over will and how does it work?

A pour-over will is a type of estate planning document used in the state of Washington. It is a will that works in conjunction with a revocable living trust. The purpose of a pour-over will is to ensure that any assets not transferred to a trust during the life of the trustor, or creator of the trust, are “poured over” into the trust upon the trustor’s death. To do this, the pour-over will must specify the revocable living trust as the beneficiary of all the trustor’s assets that were not previously transferred. Upon the trustor’s death, the assets specified in the pour-over will are then passed to the trust. The assets are then managed according to the instructions in the trust document, which typically divides the assets among designated beneficiaries in accordance with the trustor’s wishes. A pour-over will simplifies the inheritance process by ensuring that all of the trustor’s assets are transferred to the trust in the event of the trustor’s death. This helps to avoid a lengthy and costly probate process, which can be time consuming and expensive for the beneficiaries. Since a pour-over will is only necessary in the event of the trustor’s death, it can be a helpful tool for estate planning and can help ensure that the trustor’s assets are passed on as intended.

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What is a pour-over will and how does it work?

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