A trust is a type of fiduciary relationship or arrangement established through a legal document in which a person transfers assets into the care and management of another person. When you create and fund a trust, your role is known as the grantor. The person to whom you give the responsibility for managing and distributing assets in the trust is known as the trustee. There are different kinds of trusts that you could establish depending on your purpose and whether or not you wish to maintain control over the assets the trust contains.

How is a trust different from a will?

A will is a legal document that outlines for others, specifically the executor of your estate, how you want your assets to be distributed after death. Unlike a will, a trust can take effect while you are still alive. A trust establishes a legal entity in which the trustee, the person to whom you entrust the assets, has a fiduciary responsibility to manage them for a beneficiary. Wills don’t hold assets, as trusts do once they are funded. While a will is an important part of any estate plan, trusts offer protections that wills don’t.

What are the benefits of using trusts for your estate planning?

Using trusts can help you shield assets from the probate process, making estate administration easier on your loved ones. You can use trusts to ensure your wishes for the distribution of your assets are carried out even in the face of complex family dynamics or other complicated situations. Trusts can also carry potential tax benefits and other cost savings, allowing you to maximize the assets you pass on for the good of your loved ones.

How do you determine what type of trust fits your estate planning needs?

There are numerous types of trusts, and choosing the right one for your purposes is integral. You need the guidance of a knowledgeable trusts lawyer in Burlington County, NJ, to help you decide which type of trust you need and skillfully integrate this solution into your estate planning.

Marlton Trusts Attorney | Trusts Lawyer Burlington County, NJ

Cohler Law/

Marlton Trusts Attorney

Trusts Lawyer in Burlington County, NJ Creating Tailored Wealth Protection Strategies in Marlton, Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Mount Laurel, Medford, and Throughout South Jersey

Your options for estate planning aren’t limited to wills. With the help and guidance of a dedicated Marlton trusts attorney, you can make use of a valuable tool that can help you protect your legacy and make it easier for your family to receive the assets you wish to leave for them.

At Cohler Law, we use all types of trusts to help individuals and families create meaningful estate plans. Through these plans, you can shield assets from creditors, help your beneficiaries avoid extra tax burdens and the hassles of the probate process, and plan for charitable donations, loved ones’ educational costs, or the future of a family member with special needs.

Contact us today to find out how a trusts lawyer in Burlington County, NJ, can help you achieve your goals through strategic, personalized estate planning.

Using Trusts for Estate Planning in Marlton, NJ

In all kinds of situations, trusts can be used to hold and protect assets. A unique aspect of trusts is that they can be established and funded during your lifetime, giving you more direct control over your legacy. Certain types of trusts even allow you to retain control over the assets in the trust throughout your lifetime, passing to a successor trustee upon your death.

The benefits of setting up a trust as part of your estate plan may include:

Being able to avoid the probate process and the additional time, costs, obligations, and hassles that go along with it
Providing tax savings
Allowing you more extensive control over complex situations, such as setting aside funds for educational expenses, the future of a loved one with special needs, and the support of children from a prior marriage

Determining whether a trust is advantageous in achieving specific goals you have, as well as which type of trust best fits your needs, requires the knowledge of a dedicated trusts lawyer in Burlington County, NJ.

Types of Trusts Cohler Law Can Assist You With

You can count on a Marlton trusts attorney at Cohler Law to help you explore all of the options available to protect your assets and secure your family’s future. We help our clients by setting up numerous types of trusts, including the following.

Revocable Trusts

In a revocable trust, you may serve as your own trustee, with any intended beneficiaries named as successor trustees. You retain control over the assets in the trust and can remove them if desired. You also have the ability to set and change the terms of the trust.

Irrevocable Trusts

An irrevocable trust can’t be changed or amended after it is established, except in specific situations. As the assets placed in an irrevocable trust are no longer part of your estate, they may be protected from certain concerns. However, you can’t simply withdraw these assets at any time, as you would have the right to do in the case of a revocable trust.

Insurance Trusts

Life insurance is another way of protecting your family’s future following your death, but if the proceeds from a life insurance policy end up being considered part of your taxable estate, your family could end up with much less than you intended. An irrevocable life insurance trust allows you to prevent this possibility by excluding the proceeds of your life insurance policy from your taxable estate, so your beneficiaries keep more of the money you intended them to receive.

Educational Trusts

Perhaps you want to leave your children, grandchildren, or other loved ones money for their future, but you want to ensure they spend it wisely. If you want to provide assets specifically to fund a beneficiary’s education, you might create an educational trust, a type of irrevocable trust that earmarks assets to be used for educational purposes.

Qualified Personal Residence Trusts

Another type of irrevocable trust that can be used for specific purposes is a qualified personal residence trust. These trusts are used to transfer ownership of a home before death, minimizing the burdens of estate and gift taxes.

Special Needs Trusts

If you have a loved one with special needs, providing for their future is likely to be an important part of your estate planning concerns. By setting up special needs trusts, we can help you set aside funds for your loved one’s future without causing them to lose benefits they’re entitled to, including Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Charitable Trusts

Trusts aren’t only used to provide for your family. You can also create a trust for the purpose of making a difference more broadly. Grantors can use charitable trusts, often managed by family members, to channel assets to charitable, educational, scientific, literary, or religious causes and organizations. A charitable trust can provide tax savings, allowing you to ensure more of your assets go to a good cause rather than to the government through taxes.

How Cohler Law Can Help

As a seasoned Marlton trusts attorney, Cohler Law can assist you throughout the process of implementing trusts. We begin by understanding your specific goals and concerns to help you determine what type of trust is the right choice for your situation. We handle the work of skillfully drafting the legal documents needed to set up a trust and guiding you through all stages of estate planning.

Why Choose Cohler Law?

When it comes to planning for the future, having a knowledgeable Marlton trusts attorney on your side makes a difference. Count on Cohler Law, with our long history of securing our clients’ legacies and the comprehensive legal guidance you need to build a personalized estate plan that uses trusts to strategically protect what matters to you.

A Decades-Long History of Protecting Clients’ Assets and Legacies

Since 1991, Cohler Law has secured family legacies for clients across South Jersey by creating customized estate plans using trusts, wills, power of attorney documents, and other legal solutions. In each estate plan we create, we draw upon the lessons we’ve learned and the effective outcomes we’ve achieved for the families we have served over more than 30 years.

Comprehensive Assistance Setting Up Trusts and Other Aspects of Estate Plans

At Cohler Law, our focus on providing meaningful, comprehensive estate planning services ensures that all tools and solutions are available to you. With professional knowledge of all types of trusts and how they can be strategically leveraged to meet your goals, we work to help you create a personalized estate plan. Whether you’re planning for the care of a minor or an adult with special needs, setting funds aside for educational purposes, or constructing a plan that protects loved ones from being taken advantage of, a Marlton trusts attorney at Cohler Law can help you explore all of the ways to put trusts and other forms of estate planning solutions to work for your family.

Personalized Estate Planning Tailored to Your Family’s Priorities

Just as no two situations involve the exact same assets, concerns, and family dynamics, no two estate plans should be exactly the same. To protect your legacy and the future of your family, you need an estate plan that fully fits your needs. Before we start writing up wills and setting up trusts, the attorneys at Cohler Law meet with clients individually. Getting to know your unique concerns, needs, and goals allows us to craft custom-tailored estate plans that use trusts and other solutions to address your priorities effectively.

Contact a Marlton Trusts Attorney at Cohler Law Today

It’s time to confront the uncertainty of the future through trusts and other estate planning solutions. We’re here to provide the peace of mind you and your family need, now and for the future.

For help from a trusts lawyer in Burlington County, NJ, contact Cohler Law online or call 856-644-1969 today.

A trust is a type of fiduciary relationship or arrangement established through a legal document in which a person transfers assets into the care and management of another person. When you create and fund a trust, your role is known as the grantor. The person to whom you give the responsibility for managing and distributing assets in the trust is known as the trustee. There are different kinds of trusts that you could establish depending on your purpose and whether or not you wish to maintain control over the assets the trust contains.
A will is a legal document that outlines for others, specifically the executor of your estate, how you want your assets to be distributed after death. Unlike a will, a trust can take effect while you are still alive. A trust establishes a legal entity in which the trustee, the person to whom you entrust the assets, has a fiduciary responsibility to manage them for a beneficiary. Wills don’t hold assets, as trusts do once they are funded. While a will is an important part of any estate plan, trusts offer protections that wills don’t.
Using trusts can help you shield assets from the probate process, making estate administration easier on your loved ones. You can use trusts to ensure your wishes for the distribution of your assets are carried out even in the face of complex family dynamics or other complicated situations. Trusts can also carry potential tax benefits and other cost savings, allowing you to maximize the assets you pass on for the good of your loved ones.

Meet Our Team

Abby N. Cohler

Abby N. Cohler, Attorney at Law, established her practice in 1991 and has diligently assisted clients in Marlton and throughout New Jersey in crafting meaningful and effective estate plans. These plans are designed to protect assets, preserve client wishes, and establish family legacies.

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Adam L. Cohler

In 2023, Adam transitioned to private practice, partnering with Abby N. Cohler, Esq. Together, they offer personalized and dedicated legal representation. Adam is also deeply involved in the legal community. He serves as a Trustee for the Camden County Bar Association and as the Young Lawyer Chair.