Changing beneficiaries on trust

GhostsoftheGrass

GhostsoftheGrass

New member
I’ve researched a bunch on changing my beneficiaries and adding my kids to my trust but can’t seem to find a legit way to amend my trust. Have any of you guys done this and what steps did you guys go through? Just have a lawyer redraft my trust or add an amendment? Sorry if this is a dumb question. Just trying to protect my belongings and make it simpler. Thanks in advance! I live in Nebraska if that matters.
 
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If your trust is a DIY software trust, you may need (want) to have it reviewed/amended by a lawyer. But I would think the software would have amendment forms with it.

I have a trust drafted by a lawyer, and one from Dakota Silencer.

When I wanted to add a trustee to the lawyer's trust, he sent me the "amendment" to add the names(s) as I needed to and one to remove names. No charge. I also asked about changing the beneficiary. He said to give him the info and he would draft it.

Dakota Silencer also sent me a file to add trustees.
 
its going to depend entirely on how your trust was drafted, and the language used to set it up.

in my trust (lawyer drafted) - the beneficiary/trustee list is treated like the property list. I've got Schedule A - List of trustee's and Schedule B - list of property. i can add or remove beneficiaries from the schedule A pretty much at will - as long as they meet any of the other legal requirements to be part of the trust and posses NFA items of course. the most recent printed version is the only valid copy type of thing. Trustee's can be added as well, but the grantor trustee (me) is a bit trickier and will likely involve getting a lawyer involved. Thankfully in michigan (adult) beneficiaries are considered "responsible parties" and are able to posses so i dont have to grant someone full trustee powers (ability to purchase/sell trust property) to allow them to posses the trust items.

unfortunately as noted - depending on how your trust is setup, this may or may not apply to you. If you're unsure i would contact a lawyer for a basic review and a plan to make changes going forward. its totally 110% worth a couple hundred bucks of legal fees now to prevent a whole buncha legal cost in the future. which is why when i got mine drafted i paid a lawyer to draft it as the law had just changed recently here in the state.
 
I was told it varies state to state. In Virginia with my trust I can add beneficiaries in the same way as Plant.One mentioned above. It was drafted by an attorney and I wanted that option as I only had one child at the time, but planned to have more.
 
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