If you own a beloved pet and want to ensure care after you are gone, a pet trust is a practical legal arrangement that lets you plan for their comfort and medical care. At the Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman, we help Lake of the Pines residents create clear, legally enforceable instructions that name caregivers, set aside funds, and provide routine and emergency care directions. A pet trust places assets under a trustee to pay for the pet’s ongoing needs while naming a caregiver who will provide day-to-day care, making it a reliable tool for pet owners who want peace of mind.
Establishing a pet trust involves thoughtful decisions about who will care for your animal, how funds will be managed and disbursed, and what specific preferences you have about veterinary care, diet, exercise, and living arrangements. Our firm can draft a trust that coordinates with your overall estate plan, including a pour-over will or trust funding documents, to ensure there are no gaps in the transition. Whether you own dogs, cats, birds, or other companion animals, a properly drafted pet trust provides structure, accountability, and a financial plan to support continued care according to your wishes.
A pet trust protects your animal’s future by setting aside funds and instructions that survive your passing or prolonged incapacity. It reduces uncertainty for family members and prevents pets from entering shelters due to lack of arrangements. A trust allows you to name someone you trust to provide daily care, set standards for veterinary treatment, and designate backup caregivers if the primary person cannot serve. Importantly, a written plan helps avoid family disputes over care decisions and provides the financial means so your pet can maintain its routine and medical needs without undue interruption.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman serves California clients with a focus on practical, well-drafted estate planning documents that include pet trusts, wills, and related instruments. Our approach centers on listening to each client’s priorities, explaining options in plain language, and preparing documents that are intended to be clear and durable. We help clients across the state plan for pets, retirement accounts, and special needs considerations, coordinating trust funding and related filings so that the plan operates smoothly when it is needed most.
A pet trust is a legal arrangement that holds assets for the care and benefit of a companion animal. The trust names a trustee to manage funds and a caregiver to provide daily care, and it can include detailed instructions about diet, medical treatment, boarding arrangements, and end-of-life wishes. In California, pet trusts are recognized and can be tailored to the expected lifespan of the animal and the size of the trust fund. Properly drafted trusts anticipate contingencies such as caregiver relocation, the pet’s health changes, and successor trustees to ensure continuity of care.
Funding the trust is a key element to ensure the caregiver has access to necessary funds when needed. This can come from direct trust contributions, instructions in a will via a pour-over provision, or designated beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and insurance policies. The trustee has a fiduciary duty to manage funds prudently and disburse payments according to the trust terms. Clear documentation of the pet’s preferences and medical history, along with named veterinary contacts, reduces confusion and helps caregivers honor your intentions effectively.
A pet trust is a legal vehicle that provides for the care and financial needs of a companion animal after an owner dies or becomes incapacitated. It combines a named caregiver who will look after the animal’s day-to-day needs with a trustee who manages funds and pays for veterinary care, food, grooming, and other reasonable expenses. The trust sets forth instructions for routine care and special medical circumstances, and it can specify how funds should be allocated and when they should be distributed. This arrangement aims to safeguard the animal’s welfare and relieve family members of uncertain decision-making burdens.
When preparing a pet trust, consider naming a reliable caregiver and a trustee who can handle financial administration, specifying who receives remaining funds if the trust balance remains after the pet’s death, and outlining precise care instructions. The trust should address veterinary authority, emergency procedures, boarding during caregiver absence, and acceptable living environments. Consider including a contingency plan for successor caregivers and trustees, along with documentation of the pet’s medical records and preferences. Regular review and updating of the trust help keep it aligned with changing circumstances and the pet’s needs.
Understanding common terms used in pet trust planning helps owners make informed decisions. Terms such as trustee, caregiver, trust corpus, funding, pour-over will, successor trustee, and distribution instructions describe roles and mechanisms used to protect the pet. Knowing what each role entails and how funds are handled reduces ambiguity in the plan. Clear, concise definitions in the trust make it easier for those who must carry out your wishes and lower the chance of disputes. Gathering relevant documents and naming contact persons make implementation straightforward when it matters most.
A trustee is the person or entity responsible for managing the trust assets on behalf of the pet trust. Their responsibilities include holding and investing funds prudently, making payments for the pet’s care in accordance with the trust terms, maintaining accounting records, and communicating with the caregiver. The trustee does not provide day-to-day care unless also serving as caregiver. Choosing a trustworthy and financially capable trustee is important because this person ensures funds are used properly and may coordinate with veterinarians and caregivers when financial decisions arise.
The caregiver is the individual who provides daily physical and emotional care for the animal, such as feeding, exercise, grooming, and transportation to veterinary appointments. The caregiver should be someone willing to follow the owner’s instructions in the trust and maintain the pet’s established routines. The caregiver can be compensated from trust funds for reasonable expenses and a stipend if the trust allows. Naming an alternate caregiver is advisable in case the primary person cannot continue in that role, ensuring continuity of the pet’s living situation and care.
The trust corpus refers to the assets placed into the pet trust to fund the animal’s care. This can be cash, investments, proceeds from insurance policies, or transfers from other estate planning instruments. The amount placed into the corpus should reflect the pet’s expected needs, including routine care, potential medical expenses, and any boarding or training costs. The trustee’s duty is to apply the corpus to meet those needs while preserving funds so the trust can provide long-term support. Clear guidance in the trust about allowable expenditures protects both the pet and caregiver.
A pour-over will is an estate planning tool that directs assets not already placed into a trust to be transferred into the trust upon the owner’s death. For pet owners, a pour-over will can ensure that remaining assets intended for the pet trust are funneled into the trust when the probate process is complete, minimizing the chance that funds will be left out of the plan. Using a pour-over will helps synchronize the estate plan so that a pet trust receives any designated assets even if funding was incomplete at the time of death.
Pet owners can consider several approaches to care arrangements, including informal family agreements, last will bequests, and pet trusts. Informal agreements lack legal enforcement and may result in confusion or insufficient funds. Leaving instructions in a will without a trust can delay access to funds through probate and may not provide ongoing management. A pet trust, by contrast, creates a structured plan with a trustee empowered to manage assets and make payments for care, reducing delays and providing a clearer path for caregivers to access resources promptly.
If a pet has minimal ongoing expenses and a trusted friend or family member is willing to assume care without financial compensation, a simple written note and informal agreement can sometimes suffice. In situations where the pet’s needs are expected to remain low and the caregiver can absorb costs, complex legal documents may not be necessary. However, even in these cases, putting instructions and contact details in writing and informing the caregiver about medical history and preferences will help reduce confusion and ensure the pet’s routine is maintained.
A limited approach may be appropriate when arrangements are intended to be temporary or transitional, such as when a family member plans to care for the pet on an interim basis. For short-term transitions, providing written guidance and designating an emergency contact or backup caregiver can meet immediate needs without forming a full trust. Even so, owners should periodically reassess and consider a more formal plan if circumstances change, especially if the pet develops health conditions or requires ongoing medication that carries higher costs.
If your pet requires ongoing medical care, special diets, training, or regular boarding that involves significant expenses, a comprehensive pet trust provides a reliable funding mechanism and clear management. A trustee can manage and disburse funds to cover recurring costs and unexpected medical bills, and the trust can set priorities for treatment and quality of life decisions. This structure relieves caregivers of the financial burden and helps ensure that funds are available when veterinarians recommend treatment or long-term care becomes necessary.
When family members hold differing views about care, or when you want accountability for how funds are spent, a comprehensive pet trust provides written instructions and a trustee to oversee payments and ensure compliance with your wishes. This reduces the potential for disputes and gives the named caregiver clear authority to act. The formal structure also enables you to designate what happens to leftover funds, name alternate caregivers, and spell out conditions for euthanasia or end-of-life care if such guidance is important to you.
A comprehensive pet trust provides financial security for your animal, reduces ambiguity about who will care for them, and creates a clear plan for medical and daily routines. It supports long-term decision-making by designating a trustee to manage funds and a caregiver to provide daily care, and it can include backups to handle unexpected situations. By documenting your wishes in detail, the plan helps ensure continuity in the pet’s environment and routines, which can be important for their well-being and reduces stress for both pets and caregivers.
In addition to practical care arrangements, a pet trust can improve accountability by requiring record-keeping and reporting, and it enables you to direct funds toward vet care, training, grooming, travel, or other expenses you deem necessary. The legal structure also minimizes the likelihood that your pet will be surrendered to a shelter because of financial uncertainty. With well-drafted provisions, you can tailor the trust to align with your broader estate plan, ensuring an orderly transition of assets and maintaining your pet’s standard of care.
Providing dedicated funds within a trust secures resources for ongoing and emergency care and allows the trustee to allocate payments for routine expenses without delay. This financial stability ensures that caregivers are reimbursed for allowable costs and that veterinarians receive payment as needed. It also helps avoid strained relations that can arise when caregivers shoulder expenses out of pocket. With clear spending provisions and reporting requirements, owners can feel confident that their animals will continue to receive necessary care even when the owner cannot be present.
A detailed trust sets expectations for diet, exercise, veterinary treatment, and emergency procedures, reducing ambiguity for the caregiver and veterinarian. By including specific instructions and naming designated professionals, you give caregivers the authority to act consistent with your wishes. Successor caregiver and trustee provisions provide continuity if the primary named individuals cannot serve, and clear directives about remaining funds protect against misunderstandings. This clarity fosters a stable environment for the pet and supports better long-term outcomes for their health and routine.
Choosing the right caregiver and trustee is central to a pet trust’s success. The caregiver should be familiar with the animal’s needs and willing to maintain routines, while the trustee should be comfortable managing funds and making payments. Discuss expectations openly with the proposed caregiver and ensure they consent to the role before naming them. Consider naming backup individuals in case the primary choice cannot act in the future. Clear communication and documented consent reduce surprises and provide a smoother transition when the trust needs to be implemented.
Properly funding the pet trust is essential to ensure the caregiver can cover expenses. Consider transferring assets directly into the trust, using beneficiary designations, or employing a pour-over will so funds pass into the trust through probate if needed. Estimate likely annual costs for food, grooming, and veterinary care and add a cushion for unexpected events. Also address contingencies such as caregiver relocation or incapacitation by naming successors and instructing how remaining funds should be handled if the pet passes away with money left in the trust.
Pet owners who value continuity, financial preparedness, and clear instructions often choose a pet trust to enforce their wishes. A trust reduces the risk that pets will be rehomed or enter shelters due to a lack of planning and gives caregivers the authority and resources to maintain the pet’s routine. For owners with multiple animals, animals with medical needs, or those without close family, a pet trust creates a reliable plan that addresses responsibilities and funding. This approach helps ensure pets receive steady, consistent care aligned with the owner’s preferences.
Other reasons to consider a pet trust include minimizing family disputes, preserving financial resources for care, and defining end-of-life preferences. Property owners who travel, live alone, or have aging pets find that a trust provides the structure needed to protect an animal’s long-term welfare. A trust also streamlines coordination between caregivers and veterinarians and can be integrated into a broader estate plan that includes wills, revocable living trusts, and healthcare directives so that all aspects of a client’s affairs are managed with consistent intent.
Pet trusts are particularly beneficial when owners want to ensure ongoing care without putting financial burdens on family members, when animals have special medical needs, or when the owner has limited family nearby. They are also useful for owners who travel frequently, have complex estate plans, or want to leave precise instructions about end-of-life care. A trust gives clear authority to a trustee to oversee funds and to a caregiver to implement day-to-day care, reducing the risk of disputes and making it more likely the pet remains with a trusted person.
When no immediate family member is available or willing to provide long-term care, a pet trust allows the owner to identify a caregiver outside the family and ensure funds are available to support that person. This situation often arises for pet owners who live alone or whose family members live far away. By documenting expectations and providing a financial framework, the trust helps assure the chosen caregiver can maintain the pet’s lifestyle without undue financial hardship, and it designates backups if the primary caregiver cannot serve.
If a pet requires ongoing treatments, regular medications, or special diets that incur costs, a pet trust provides a mechanism to cover those expenses reliably. The trust allows the trustee to make payments to veterinarians and reimburse the caregiver for documented costs, and it can specify limits on certain procedures or authorizations for emergency care. Clear funding instructions and medical directives reduce the time it takes for caregivers to secure care and help ensure the pet receives recommended treatments without delay.
Owners who are concerned that their pets might be surrendered to a shelter in the absence of clear plans often choose a pet trust to prevent that outcome. By formally naming a caregiver and establishing funds for care, the trust reduces the chances that family or friends lacking resources will feel forced to make placement decisions. The legal framework supports a smoother transition and gives instructions for interim arrangements, boarding, or caregiver changes until a long-term solution is in place.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman provides pet trust planning services for residents of Lake of the Pines and throughout Nevada County. We understand local considerations and coordinate documents to work with California law. Our goal is to create practical, understandable plans that honor your preferences for pet care and integrate with other estate planning tools. We work with clients to assemble care instructions, funding strategies, and contingency plans so that pets receive consistent care and financial support when the owner cannot provide it themselves.
Clients choose the Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman because we focus on clear, client-centered planning that considers both legal and practical aspects of pet care. We take the time to understand your pet’s routine, medical needs, and your preferences regarding caregivers and funding. Our approach emphasizes creating documents that are intended to be easy to follow for caregivers and trustees, reducing friction during transitions. We also review options for funding, including direct trust contributions, beneficiary designations, and pour-over wills to make sure the plan is workable.
We assist clients with coordinating pet trusts alongside other estate planning tools such as revocable living trusts, last wills and testaments, financial powers of attorney, and advance health care directives. This coordination helps ensure a comprehensive approach that addresses both human and animal care needs in a unified plan. By preparing clear provisions for trustee responsibilities, caregiver compensation, and successor appointments, we aim to provide a practical roadmap that is ready to be implemented when needed.
Our service includes advising on funding strategies to ensure the trust has adequate resources and drafting provisions that reflect your values and practical concerns. We also help clients prepare supporting documents like veterinary authorizations, medical history summaries, and lists of pet preferences. These materials are designed to make it easier for caregivers and trustees to follow your instructions and secure timely care, while providing transparency and accountability for how trust funds are used.
Our process begins with a consultation to gather details about your pet, your caregiver preferences, and funding goals. We discuss options for trustees, draft tailored trust provisions, and coordinate any supporting documents such as pour-over wills or trust funding instructions. After you review and approve the draft, we finalize the documents and advise on next steps for funding the trust and providing the caregiver with necessary records. Periodic reviews ensure the plan remains current as circumstances change or pets age.
In the initial phase we gather comprehensive information about your pet’s health, daily routine, preferred caregivers, and financial resources intended for care. We discuss your priorities, such as preferred veterinarians, travel arrangements, and any special medical directives. This meeting informs the trust drafting process and helps us recommend a funding approach that aligns with your overall estate plan. By collecting detailed background upfront, we prepare a trust that reflects realistic care plans and financial estimates for ongoing needs.
We ask about routine feeding, exercise, medication schedules, and behavioral considerations to ensure the trust includes practical instructions caregivers can follow. Documenting health history and current treatments helps veterinarians make informed decisions and allows caregivers to maintain consistency in care. Clients can provide contact information for vets, groomers, and trainers so the trust references trusted professionals. Clear care guidance reduces uncertainty and aids caregivers and vets in honoring your wishes during transitions.
We help clients think through who is best suited to be the caregiver and who should manage the funds as trustee, considering availability, willingness to travel, and financial acumen. We recommend naming alternates and discussing compensation for the caregiver to cover time and expenses. This planning stage resolves practical questions about living arrangements, expected expenses, and how the trustee will disburse funds. Ensuring the caregiver is informed and agreeable reduces the chance of future disputes and improves care continuity.
After gathering information, we prepare a draft trust tailored to your directions, along with supporting documents such as a pour-over will, HIPAA authorizations for medical records, and transfer instructions for funding. The drafted trust will identify the trustee, caregiver, successor appointments, spending rules, and any reporting requirements. We review the draft with you to confirm the language reflects your wishes and make any necessary revisions. Clear, precise drafting minimizes ambiguity and facilitates smooth implementation when needed.
We review the draft with you line by line to ensure each instruction aligns with your intentions and practical reality. This review allows for adjustments to compensation, spending limits, and veterinary decision-making authority, and to add contingencies for caregiver incapacity. Our goal during revision is to strike the right balance between flexibility for caregivers and safeguards that preserve your intent. After revisions, we prepare final execution copies and advise on best practices for storing and sharing the documents with relevant parties.
Once the trust and related documents are finalized, we guide you through the execution process to ensure validity, including witnessing and notarization as appropriate. We also help prepare a care folder with medical records, contact lists, and instructions for caregivers and trustees. This packet helps caregivers act immediately when needed and provides veterinarians with important information. We advise on securely sharing copies and on steps to fund the trust so that resources are available when care transitions occur.
Funding the trust can include transfers of cash, beneficiary designations, or instructions in a pour-over will to move assets through probate into the trust. We explain the pros and cons of each funding method and help implement the chosen approach. Ongoing maintenance includes periodic reviews to account for changing costs, updates to caregivers or trustees, and revisions when pets experience health changes. Regular check-ins help ensure the trust continues to serve its purpose effectively and that funding remains adequate over time.
Funding options include placing cash into the trust, naming the trust as a beneficiary of certain accounts, or using a pour-over will to transfer remaining assets after probate. Choosing the right method balances immediacy of access to funds with estate administration considerations. We discuss how to estimate annual and emergency medical costs and recommend adding a reserve to account for unexpected expenses. Ensuring liquidity and clear instructions for disbursement helps trustees and caregivers respond quickly when veterinary care or boarding is required.
Pets’ needs and family circumstances change over time, so periodic review of the trust ensures that naming, funding, and instructions stay current. We recommend revisiting the trust after major life events, changes in caregiver availability, or significant changes in the pet’s health. Updates help avoid gaps in funding or outdated caregiver designations. Keeping a current plan and providing caregivers with recent documentation reduces friction and increases the likelihood that the pet will be cared for according to your intentions.
A pet trust is a legal arrangement that sets aside assets for the care and maintenance of a companion animal and designates individuals to administer funds and provide daily care. The trust names a trustee to manage and disburse funds and a caregiver to handle the pet’s routine needs. It can include instructions for veterinary care, diet, daily routines, and contingency plans for successor caregivers. Creating a trust helps ensure funds are available for care when the owner cannot provide it and provides legal authority for the caregiver to make necessary arrangements on behalf of the pet. By documenting your wishes in a trust, you reduce the likelihood that the pet will be surrendered to a shelter or placed with someone who does not share your preferences. The trust framework also gives recipients a clear method to access funds and serves as an enforceable plan that outlines responsibilities and expectations. Including contact information for veterinarians and detailed medical records alongside the trust makes implementation smoother and helps caregivers act promptly in emergencies.
Choosing a caregiver involves selecting someone who understands and is willing to assume day-to-day responsibilities, such as feeding, exercise, grooming, and transporting the pet to medical appointments. It is important to talk with the proposed caregiver in advance to confirm their willingness and to discuss expectations for living arrangements, travel, and routine care. Naming alternate caregivers is recommended in case the primary person cannot serve in the future, and including clear written instructions reduces uncertainty and improves the likelihood that the pet’s routines will be maintained. Selecting a trustee requires someone who is comfortable handling financial matters, record-keeping, and timely disbursements to cover veterinary and care expenses. The trustee need not be the caregiver; in fact, separating the caregiver and trustee roles can help maintain accountability. Discuss the trustee’s responsibilities ahead of time and ensure they understand reporting expectations and compensation terms, if any, to avoid misunderstandings and ensure funds are managed according to your wishes.
Estimating how much to fund a pet trust involves calculating routine costs such as food, grooming, medications, and regular veterinary visits, and factoring in potential emergency or long-term medical needs. Begin by creating a realistic budget for annual expenses and then consider adding a contingency reserve to cover unexpected events. The required amount will vary significantly depending on the pet’s species, age, and health condition, so tailoring the funding level to your animal’s anticipated needs helps ensure sufficiency without overcommitting estate resources. It is also useful to think about how long the trust needs to support the pet and whether funds will be placed into the trust now or poured in via a will upon death. Discussing funding strategies with an attorney can help you assess whether direct funding, beneficiary designations, or a pour-over will is most appropriate. Periodic reviews of the trust and adjustments to funding can respond to changes in the pet’s health or in veterinary cost trends.
Yes, a pet trust can be drafted to cover medical emergencies and long-term care by including provisions that authorize the trustee to pay for veterinary services, medications, surgical procedures, and boarding when the caregiver is temporarily unavailable. The trust can specify spending limits, approval thresholds for major procedures, and guidance on how to weigh costs against quality-of-life considerations. Providing the trustee and caregiver with clear authority and a budget helps them respond promptly to emergencies without delay caused by uncertainty about funding. When drafting these provisions, it is helpful to include a list of preferred veterinarians and instructions about life-sustaining or elective treatments. This reduces disagreements and provides a framework for making decisions under stressful circumstances. Including a plan for when an animal’s ongoing care becomes untenable or when euthanasia is being considered can also help caregivers and veterinarians act in a way that reflects your values while balancing medical realities and costs.
A well-drafted pet trust should specify what happens to any remaining funds after the pet’s death. Common options include naming a charitable organization with an animal welfare mission, directing the remaining funds to a human beneficiary, or providing that leftover assets be distributed to a named individual or relatives. Detailing this in the trust prevents confusion and ensures your estate is handled in a way that aligns with your broader intentions. Clear instructions about remaining funds also discourage disputes among potential beneficiaries. If the trust does not address leftover funds, state law or default estate rules may determine the distribution, which can lead to unintended results. Including directions for a successor distribution gives you control over the final disposition of assets and enables you to support causes or individuals that were important to you. Discussing these choices when creating the trust ensures they fit within your overall estate plan.
A pour-over will operates as a safety net to move assets into an existing trust at the time of probate if those assets were not formally transferred into the trust during the owner’s lifetime. For pet trust planning, a pour-over will can help ensure that assets intended for the pet trust ultimately reach the trust even if funding was overlooked. This can be particularly useful for smaller accounts or property that was not retitled prior to death and helps synchronize the probate process with the trust’s objectives. Relying on a pour-over will may involve a delay because probate administration can take time, which is why some owners prefer to fund the trust directly during their lives to permit immediate access to funds by the trustee. A pour-over will is nonetheless an important component of an integrated estate plan to capture residual assets and ensure they are applied as intended, and it should be drafted consistently with the trust to avoid gaps in funding.
Yes, California recognizes pet trusts and provides mechanisms to create legally enforceable arrangements for companion animals. State law allows owners to designate funds for the care of animals and to name trustees and caregivers to carry out those plans. When properly drafted, a pet trust is an enforceable part of an estate plan, and a trustee may be held accountable to manage the trust assets and apply them for the animal’s benefit according to the trust terms. This legal recognition gives owners greater certainty that their wishes for their pet’s care will be followed. Because state laws can change and have specific requirements about duration and administration, it is important to draft the trust in a manner consistent with California rules and with attention to how funds will be accessed and used. Working with a legal advisor helps ensure the trust’s provisions are clear and compliant, making it more likely that caregivers and trustees can implement the plan without unnecessary complications.
Most pet trusts can be amended or revoked by the grantor if the trust was created as a revocable instrument and the owner retains the legal capacity to make changes. This flexibility allows owners to update caregivers, adjust funding levels, or change instructions as circumstances change, such as a move or pet health developments. If the trust is irrevocable, changes are more limited and may require consent from beneficiaries or court approval. Clearly understanding the trust’s revocability when it is established helps the owner plan for future adjustments. Regular reviews of the trust are advisable so that naming, funding, and care instructions remain current. Life events such as caregiver availability changes, the addition of new pets, or changes in financial resources are examples of reasons to update the trust. Keeping the caregiver and trustee informed about revisions reduces confusion and makes implementation smoother when the trust must be activated.
Including end-of-life instructions in a pet trust is a personal decision that many owners find meaningful. The trust can include guidance about when euthanasia should be considered, who has authority to authorize it, and whether the trustee or caregiver should consult a veterinarian or follow specific medical benchmarks. Articulating values and thresholds for decision making helps caregivers and veterinarians make compassionate choices in line with your wishes, while avoiding conflict among family members who might otherwise disagree about timing or methods. If you decide to include such instructions, consider framing them in practical terms tied to quality-of-life indicators and veterinary advice rather than highly prescriptive mandates that may be difficult to apply. Clear, medically informed guidance and naming a decision-maker reduce stress on caregivers and ensure decisions are made with compassion and practicality at the forefront of the pet’s welfare.
Informing the caregiver about the existence of a pet trust and providing them with a copy of the trust documents and a care folder is important so they can act quickly if needed. The care folder should include medical records, vaccination history, a list of medications, contact information for the veterinarian, microchip details, and written instructions for routine care. Sharing where original documents are stored and giving the caregiver contact details for the trustee reduces delays and ensures the caregiver can access funds and make decisions consistent with your directions. It is also helpful to have a conversation with the named caregiver and trustee together so roles and expectations are mutually understood. Confirming that the caregiver is willing to accept the responsibilities and that the trustee knows how to disburse funds and report expenditures builds confidence in the plan. Periodically rechecking contact information and confirming continued willingness to serve ensures the plan is operational when the time comes.
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