Once you receive your completed Estate Plan you need to make it legal.

When you receive your Revocable Living Trust package you will see we have indicated all the areas that you, the notary and your witnesses need to sign with colored sticky tabs. These will be very helpful as you go through the signing and notarizing process.

Take your documents to a local notary...any bank, credit union, or UPS store will have one. Please note that several documents must be signed in front of a notary AND two witnesses that are over the age of 18. Please note that these witnesses cannot be related to you.

Having the Living Trust signed, dated and acknowledged by a Notary Public is what makes the document legal and valid. The Living Trust is a private document and does NOT need to be recorded or filed anywhere. The only document that does need to be recorded is the deed to transfer real property. This is done by mailing a deed (typically a Warranty Deed or Quit-Claim Deed) to the County Recorder where the property is located. Additionally, all your financial institutions need to be made aware that you have established a Living Trust to ensure everything is distributed properly upon death. This is called the funding process. All the necessary transfer documents are included with your Living Trust.