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Marital Trusts

What is a Marital Trust?

A Marital Trust, or as it is sometimes called, the “A Trust,” is an Irrevocable Trust designed to hold the deceased spouse’s assets that exceed the amount that can be sheltered from death taxes. The Marital Trust assets are not taxed at the first spouse’s death, but they are part of the second spouse’s estate. If the second spouse is not wealthy, this allows the use of both spouses’ exemptions without actually giving the less wealthy spouse ownership.

What is the Purpose of a Marital Trust?

The Marital Trust shelters the assets from the surviving spouse’s creditors and future spouses. The Bypass Trust can also be crafted to ensure that the property passes to the deceased spouse’s children or family at the surviving spouse’s death, keeping them out of the hands of the second husband/wife.

Typical Estate Questions About Marital Trusts:

Here are some questions clients, beneficiaries, and Trustees ask:

How does the Marital Trust protect a beneficiary from death taxes?

The Marital Trust allows a married couple to act as a team, maximizing their combined estate and generation-skipping tax exemptions.

What are the pros of the Marital Trust?

Tax avoidance, asset protection and providing the opportunity to keep assets within the family bloodline.

What are the cons of a Marital Trust?

The Marital Trust has a tax ID and must file a separate tax return.

Can Anyone be a Marital Trust Beneficiary?

The surviving spouse must be the only beneficiary.

Can only a Spouse be a Marital Trust Beneficiary?

Yes, to meet the estate and generation-skipping tax requirements, the spouse must be the sole beneficiary.

Reasonable Prices | Years of Experience | We Make Trusts and Estate Planning Easier

If you have any questions about Marital Trusts or any other estate planning topics, feel free to contact us to schedule a free consultation. For more than two decades Klenk Law has focused only on Estate Law. We’ve seen it all, and this experience allows us to explain complex estate law and planning techniques clearly and concisely. We make it easy for you to understand Marital Trusts and Estate Planning so you can make the best decisions for yourself and your family.

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Peters' firm has prepared and updated our Wills and Trusts for the last 15 to 20 years. They know the law and help with your decision making to use the law to your best advantage. Response time to your requests is very reasonable, and final reviews and signing is executed in a timely manor with a thorough coverage of the documents. Our most recent updates to our Wills & Trusts were somewhat complicated, in our opinion, but Peter and his staff handled them effortlessly. As you can tell from this review Peter Klenk's firm is top notch.

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Chris Nezu

Klenk Law is a professional and class act from start to finish. Peter, and all of his staff members are patient, clear, and trustworthy, all within the context of a user friendly, kind, and comfortable ambience.

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Lu Han

I have worked with three different attorneys and law firms over the years, and I can confidently say that attorney Peter Klenk stands out as the most knowledgeable. He created the most thorough wills and trust documents I've ever had. Mr. Klenk took the time to gather all the necessary details about my current situation and goals. As a result, he put together comprehensive documents that I believe will effectively protect my assets and ensure my children's inheritance is secure.
What truly sets Mr. Klenk apart is his patience and dedication to understanding my questions. He provided detailed explanations that made complex legal concepts much easier to grasp. His team's communication and scheduling were equally impressive, making the entire process smooth and stress-free.
Thank you, Mr. Klenk, and your fantastic team, for your exceptional service!

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Peter offers excellent service in a easy friendly atmosphere. Highly recommended!

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very happy to deal with Peter Klenk law firm over many decades

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