Grandpa was determined to make sure that his grandchildren didn’t waste what he left them. His Last Will, written when he was 75 made sure of that. That smart mouthed 19 year old girl was going to be stuck with a trust fund to keep her in line. And her nice quiet brother, who never contradicted him, could inherit and spend the money as he pleased. He figured things would never change, so why change his will after that?
But things did change before he died. That young lady grew up gracefully and became a licensed counselor, with a wonderful husband and a charming baby. The family finally realized that her quiet younger brother suffered from schizophrenia. He was quiet because he was listening to the voices in his head. It would be disastrous for him to have money in his hands. He’d need a trust in the future to protect him from himself. But Grandpa never looked back to change his will. No one in the family knew his plans.
We are able to help when Grandpa died ten years later. The trust for the granddaughter allowed the trustee to make reasonable distributions, and we advised the trustee she had the power to allow a down payment on a home. Fortunately for the young man, his inheritance could be diverted into a Court-ordered trust, even though Grandfather didn’t write one. The funds will now be protected and used for his lifetime.
If your misguided relatives left the heirs out in the cold, or if they need to update outdated estate planning documents, we can help!
If we can help to terminate or amend an out of date trust, please call use at (425) 637-3019 or e-mail madelinegauthier@msn.com.
Washington Probate Stories 