Complete Guide to Revocable Living Trusts in Bloomingdale
A revocable living trust can be one of the most useful tools for families in Bloomingdale who want to manage assets, plan for incapacity, and simplify the transfer of property after death. This guide explains how a revocable living trust works, what it can and cannot accomplish, and common decisions to consider when designing a plan that fits your needs. Whether you own a home in Sullivan County, hold financial accounts, or have blended-family concerns, understanding the role of a revocable trust helps you make informed choices about protecting your family and preserving your legacy in Tennessee.
Creating a revocable living trust is a careful process that combines legal documents with practical steps to move property into trust ownership. Many people choose a trust to avoid probate proceedings, provide continuity in management during illness, and allow privacy for asset distribution. This article outlines the benefits, the typical steps for drafting and funding a trust, and when alternative tools might be more appropriate. If you are evaluating estate planning options in Bloomingdale or elsewhere in Tennessee, this overview will help you weigh trade-offs and prepare relevant questions for your planning meeting.
Why a Revocable Living Trust Can Matter for Your Family
A properly structured revocable living trust can reduce delays and public exposure that sometimes accompany probate cases in Tennessee. Beyond probate avoidance, a revocable trust provides a framework for managing assets if you become incapacitated, enabling a successor trustee to step in without court appointment. It also allows for tailored distribution instructions, which can be especially helpful for families with minor beneficiaries, blended family concerns, or property in multiple states. While it does not remove estate tax responsibilities or shield assets from creditors in every situation, it often creates a smoother transition and clearer plan for those left to manage an estate.
About Jay Johnson Law Firm and Our Approach to Trust Planning
Jay Johnson Law Firm serves clients across Tennessee, including Bloomingdale and Sullivan County, with a focus on estate planning and probate matters. Our approach emphasizes listening to your priorities, explaining options in plain language, and drafting documents that reflect the family’s circumstances and values. We guide clients through practical steps like titling assets and naming successor decision-makers. Our team assists with straightforward living trusts as well as more involved plans that coordinate powers of attorney, health care directives, and other estate planning components to produce a cohesive plan that fits your situation.
Understanding Revocable Living Trusts: Basics and Practical Uses
A revocable living trust is a legal arrangement created during the grantor’s lifetime that holds title to designated assets and names who will manage and receive those assets. Unlike an irrevocable vehicle, a revocable trust can be changed or revoked while the grantor is living, giving flexibility as circumstances evolve. The trust document names a trustee—often the grantor initially—and successor trustees to carry out management if the grantor cannot. Learning how to properly transfer ownership of bank accounts, real estate, and investment assets into the trust is essential to achieving the intended benefits, so careful follow-through after drafting is important.
Many people mistakenly believe simply signing a trust document is sufficient. In practice, the most common failure is not transferring assets into the trust, which can limit its effectiveness. Funding the trust requires re-titling property, updating beneficiary designations where appropriate, and aligning account ownership so that the trust can administer assets as intended. Additionally, a revocable trust works alongside other documents such as wills that catch assets not placed in the trust. Understanding these interactions ensures the trust operates as part of a complete estate plan tailored to your needs in Bloomingdale and across Tennessee.
What a Revocable Living Trust Is and How It Operates
A revocable living trust is a legally binding document that places selected assets under the management of a trust during the grantor’s life and specifies their distribution after death. The grantor typically serves as trustee during their lifetime, retaining control and the ability to modify terms. Successor trustees are named to manage assets and distribute property according to the trust terms if the grantor is no longer able to do so. The trust can include detailed instructions for beneficiary distributions, conditions for gifts, and continuity mechanisms for family-owned property, creating a plan that reflects personal priorities and family dynamics.
Key Elements and Steps When Creating a Revocable Trust
Drafting a revocable trust involves several deliberate steps: defining which assets to include, choosing successor trustees, setting distribution terms, and addressing contingencies such as incapacity or predeceased beneficiaries. The process typically begins with an inventory of assets and family circumstances, followed by drafting language to reflect your intentions. Once the document is executed, ownership of titled assets must be transferred into the trust and beneficiary designations reviewed. Periodic review and updates keep the trust aligned with life changes like marriage, divorce, births, deaths, and moving between states.
Key Terms and Glossary for Trust Planning
Understanding common terms used in trust documents can make planning discussions clearer and help you evaluate options. Terms such as grantor, trustee, beneficiary, funding, and successor trustee each carry specific roles and responsibilities. The glossary that follows defines frequently used phrases and explains their significance in the context of a revocable living trust. Familiarity with these definitions makes it easier to decide who to appoint for particular duties and how to structure distribution instructions in a way that fits your family’s needs and complies with Tennessee law.
Grantor (Trustmaker)
The grantor, sometimes called the trustmaker, is the person who creates the revocable living trust and typically transfers assets into it while retaining the power to modify or revoke the trust. The grantor sets the trust terms, selects successors, and often continues to manage trust assets during life. Because the grantor often retains control, the trust does not remove assets from the grantor’s direct authority for most purposes while alive. The grantor’s instructions guide how assets will be handled in the event of incapacity or death, so careful consideration of the grantor’s intentions is essential to drafting the document.
Successor Trustee
A successor trustee is the person or entity named to manage the trust if the original trustee cannot act because of incapacity, resignation, or death. The successor is responsible for administering assets according to the trust terms, paying obligations, and distributing property to beneficiaries. Choosing a successor trustee involves balancing objectivity, availability, financial acumen, and willingness to serve. The trust can name more than one successor and set rules for succession, which helps ensure continuity in asset management during times of transition without the need for immediate court involvement.
Funding the Trust
Funding a trust means transferring title of chosen assets from individual ownership into the name of the trust so those assets can be managed and distributed according to the trust terms. Funding can involve retitling real estate, changing account ownership, and revising beneficiary designations where permitted. The effectiveness of a revocable living trust depends largely on completing these transfers; an unfunded trust will not avoid probate for assets still owned personally. Proper funding requires careful coordination with banks, title companies, and financial institutions and attention to tax and beneficiary rules that apply to specific asset types.
Pour-Over Will
A pour-over will is a companion document to a revocable living trust that directs any assets remaining in the grantor’s name at death to be transferred into the trust. It serves as a safety net to capture assets that were not formally funded into the trust during the grantor’s lifetime, ensuring they are handled according to the trust terms. While a pour-over will still goes through probate for those untransferred assets, it simplifies distribution by moving property into the trust’s structure at probate closure, aligning administration with the grantor’s overall estate plan.
Comparing Trusts, Wills, and Other Estate Planning Tools
Choosing between a revocable living trust, a will, or other estate planning tools depends on priorities such as probate avoidance, privacy, flexibility, and cost. A will is straightforward and directs distribution at death but typically requires probate, which can be slow and public. A trust can provide continuity and privacy and avoid probate for funded assets, but it requires additional administration to fund and maintain. Other tools like durable powers of attorney and health care directives address incapacity. A balanced plan often uses multiple documents to cover gaps and provide redundancy tailored to your family’s circumstances and goals in Tennessee.
When a Limited Estate Planning Approach May Be Appropriate:
Simple Estates with Minimal Probate Risk
For households with relatively modest assets and straightforward beneficiary arrangements, a limited approach focusing on a will and durable powers of attorney may meet basic needs without the additional step of creating and funding a trust. If the asset mix is not likely to trigger multi-state probate complications and family relationships are uncomplicated, simpler documents can provide clear distribution instructions and incapacity planning. This approach reduces upfront legal work and ongoing administration, while still creating legal authority for decision-makers when financial or medical situations arise.
Low Complexity and Clear Beneficiary Designations
A limited estate plan can be appropriate when retirement accounts and other beneficiary-designated assets already pass directly to named individuals, and the family prefers to address non-retirement property through a straightforward will. In such cases, careful beneficiary review and a durable power of attorney paired with a health care directive may provide sufficient coverage for incapacity and death, while avoiding the administrative burden of trust funding. It is important to review these arrangements periodically to ensure they still match your intentions as life changes occur.
Why a Coordinated, Comprehensive Approach Often Serves Families Best:
Complex Asset Portfolios or Multi-State Property
When assets include real estate in multiple states, business interests, or retirement accounts with competing beneficiary issues, a comprehensive plan can unify administration and reduce complications at incapacity or death. A revocable living trust paired with supporting documents aligns ownership and beneficiary designations, streamlines administration, and helps prevent unintended probate across state lines. For families with more complex holdings, investing time to coordinate documents, fund the trust, and anticipate future changes can avoid higher costs and delays later when assets need to be managed or transferred.
Blended Families and Special Distribution Goals
Families with stepchildren, second marriages, or specific conditions on how and when beneficiaries receive assets often benefit from a comprehensive plan that uses trust provisions to reflect those intentions accurately. A revocable trust allows precise timing and conditions for distributions, helping protect the grantor’s objectives while minimizing family disputes. Including supporting documents for incapacity and clear successor trustee designations further reduces friction when plans must be carried out, ensuring that management and distribution follow the grantor’s considered decisions rather than default state rules.
Benefits of Taking a Comprehensive Approach to Trust Planning
A comprehensive trust-based plan can reduce public court involvement, create continuity in management during illness, and allow more specific distribution instructions than a will alone. By coordinating a trust with powers of attorney, health care directives, and beneficiary designations, families gain a single structure that addresses incapacity, end-of-life decisions, and post-death distribution. This level of coordination helps reduce administrative burdens for loved ones, protect privacy, and provide a consistent approach to asset management that aligns with the grantor’s long-term intentions for family members and charitable plans.
Taking a broader view of planning also allows for periodic reviews to reflect life changes such as remarriage, births, deaths, or relocations. A documented, coordinated plan reduces uncertainty and can prevent disputes by clarifying roles and expectations for successors. Comprehensive planning often includes practical steps to ensure the trust is funded and functioning as intended so that the legal documents translate into practical results when they are needed. This thoughtful preparation helps families manage transitions with greater clarity and less stress.
Continuity During Incapacity
One key benefit of a trust-centered plan is smooth continuity of asset management if the grantor becomes unable to manage property. Naming a successor trustee who can step in without court intervention permits timely bill payment, investment oversight, and decisions about property while avoiding guardianship or conservatorship proceedings. This continuity helps prevent gaps in care, missed financial obligations, and stress for family members. Clear instructions in the trust guide the successor trustee’s responsibilities and allow for consistent management that follows the grantor’s preferences during a vulnerable time.
Privacy and Efficient Asset Transfer
A funded revocable living trust can keep distribution details private by avoiding public probate records for assets transferred through the trust. This can reduce administrative delays and streamline the transfer of property to beneficiaries according to the trust terms. Privacy is often important for families who wish to limit public disclosure of asset values or the identities of beneficiaries. Efficient transfers also reduce the time and potential costs involved in settling an estate, making it easier for loved ones to access resources they need while carrying out the grantor’s final wishes.
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Practical Tips for Managing a Revocable Living Trust
Start with a clear inventory of assets
Creating an accurate list of your assets makes drafting and funding a trust far more effective. Include real estate addresses, account numbers for financial accounts, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and business interests. Note current ownership and beneficiary designations and gather supporting documentation such as deeds and account statements. This inventory helps identify assets that must be retitled and highlights items that may not be suitable for placing in the trust. A careful inventory reduces follow-up work and makes funding the trust a more straightforward administrative process for you and your successor.
Review beneficiary designations carefully
Keep documents and funding current
Estate plans should be reviewed and updated after major life events such as marriage, divorce, births, deaths, or relocations. Keep copies of trust documents, deeds, and updated account titles in a secure but accessible location so successor trustees can find them when needed. Periodic reviews with legal counsel help ensure that the trust reflects current laws and your family circumstances. Maintaining clear records and an updated inventory minimizes delays and confusion, ensuring that the trust functions as intended during periods of incapacity or when it is time to distribute assets to beneficiaries.
Reasons to Consider a Revocable Living Trust in Bloomingdale
A revocable living trust may be appropriate for individuals who want to reduce the likelihood of probate for certain assets, plan for management during incapacity, and provide privacy around the distribution of their estate. People with homes, investment portfolios, or out-of-state property often benefit from trust-based coordination. Those with concerns about family continuity or with beneficiaries who may require structured distributions can use trust terms to provide oversight. Considering a trust sooner rather than later allows you to take steps to fund it properly and align other estate planning documents consistently.
Another strong reason to consider a trust is to ensure a smoother transition of financial responsibilities for a surviving spouse or successor. Trust documents can name a trusted individual or institution to handle bill payments, manage investments, and distribute resources while the family navigates emotional and administrative burdens. While trusts are not a universal solution for every situation, they provide a flexible structure that can be adapted to many family scenarios and work in combination with powers of attorney, health care directives, and durable wills.
Common Situations Where a Trust May Be Recommended
Trust-based planning is frequently recommended when individuals own property in multiple states, wish to leave assets to minor children, have second-marriage concerns, or run family businesses that require orderly succession. It is also useful when someone wants to plan for the possibility of future incapacity without court involvement. While not necessary for every household, these common circumstances underline why a trust can provide predictability, privacy, and management continuity. Evaluating how your particular assets and family dynamics fit these scenarios helps determine whether a trust adds value to your plan.
Property in Multiple Jurisdictions
Owning real estate in different states can lead to multiple probate proceedings if assets remain titled in your personal name at death. Placing such property into a revocable living trust can reduce the need for ancillary probate in those states, simplifying administration and lowering costs for your heirs. The trust’s ability to centralize control helps ensure consistent distribution and management of multi-state holdings, preventing delays that can arise when local courts must appoint administrators for each separate jurisdiction involved in settling an estate.
Care for Minor or Vulnerable Beneficiaries
If you plan to provide for minor children or beneficiaries who may need ongoing oversight, a trust allows you to define distribution timing, conditions, and oversight mechanisms. A trust can appoint a trustee to manage funds for education, health care, and living expenses and can set protections against premature access or mismanagement. This controlled approach helps ensure that resources are preserved and used for intended purposes, rather than relying on court-appointed guardians or beneficiaries who may lack experience managing an inheritance.
Business Ownership and Succession Planning
Owners of small businesses or family enterprises often use trusts to coordinate succession planning and protect business continuity. A trust can hold ownership interests, define how management or ownership transfers will occur, and provide liquidity mechanisms for buyouts or structured distributions. By setting clear directions in trust documents, business owners reduce the likelihood of disputes and disruptions at times of incapacity or death, enabling a smoother transition that preserves business value and supports family stability during periods of change.
Local Trust and Estate Planning Services in Bloomingdale
Jay Johnson Law Firm provides estate planning and trust services to residents of Bloomingdale and the surrounding Sullivan County communities. We assist clients with revocable living trusts, funding guidance, successor trustee selection, and companion documents such as powers of attorney and pour-over wills. Our goal is to translate your objectives into clear documents and practical steps so your plan works when it matters most. We help families prepare for future needs, minimize administrative friction, and leave a thoughtful legacy that reflects their priorities and responsibilities under Tennessee law.
Why Choose Jay Johnson Law Firm for Revocable Trust Planning
Selecting legal assistance for trust planning should focus on working with a team that listens to your concerns and crafts documents tailored to your circumstances. Jay Johnson Law Firm emphasizes clear communication, practical drafting, and actionable follow-through to ensure a trust is funded and integrated with other estate documents. We explain options in accessible language, help you anticipate future issues, and coordinate administrative steps needed to carry out the plan in practice. This client-centered approach helps families feel confident that their intentions are documented and can be carried out effectively.
Our firm assists with both simple and more comprehensive trust arrangements, addressing questions about successor trustee selection, beneficiary conditions, and how to handle business interests or out-of-state property. We work with clients to prepare signing packages, provide guidance on title transfers, and suggest practical measures that reduce the risk of common funding oversights. Each plan is reviewed to confirm it reflects life changes and aligns with broader goals, such as preserving family harmony and easing administrative burdens for heirs after a loss.
We also emphasize ongoing accessibility and follow-up to help you maintain your plan over time. After creating documents, we offer guidance on where to store originals, how to notify successor trustees, and when to schedule reviews. This continuity helps ensure a trust continues to operate as intended through life events like births, deaths, marriage, and relocation. Our team aims to make the planning process understandable and manageable so that clients in Bloomingdale and throughout Tennessee can take practical steps today to protect their families tomorrow.
Get in Touch to Discuss a Revocable Living Trust for Your Family
How the Revocable Living Trust Process Works at Our Firm
Our process begins with an initial consultation to understand your family, assets, and planning goals. We then prepare a draft trust and supporting documents tailored to those objectives, and discuss any funding steps necessary to make the trust effective. After signing, we provide a checklist and assistance to help retitle assets and update beneficiary designations. We encourage periodic reviews and offer follow-up consultations to address life changes so your plan remains current and functional under Tennessee law.
Step 1 — Initial Consultation and Inventory
The first step is a conversation to gather details about your family, assets, and objectives. We review property ownership, account types, business interests, and beneficiary designations to determine how a trust will interact with your existing arrangements. This inventory allows us to design a trust that addresses multi-state property, minor beneficiaries, and any special distribution wishes. Clear documentation of your goals at the outset helps ensure the resulting trust reflects your priorities and identifies the administrative tasks needed to fund the trust after signing.
Discuss Goals and Family Circumstances
During the initial meeting we focus on listening to your goals for asset distribution, concerns about incapacity, and any family dynamics that could affect planning. Topics include desired timing for distributions, care for dependent beneficiaries, and how to handle family-owned businesses or vacation property. Understanding these concerns helps us draft trust provisions and companion documents that meet immediate needs and anticipate future events, producing a plan that is both practical and reflective of your long-term intentions in Bloomingdale.
Collect Documentation and Asset Records
We request documentation such as deeds, account statements, titles, and policy information to verify ownership and beneficiary designations. This step identifies assets that must be retitled to the trust and highlights potential complications like jointly owned property or retirement accounts with named beneficiaries. Gathering accurate records at the outset reduces surprises during funding and helps us prepare precise drafting language. We provide clients with a clear list of documents to bring and explain how each item fits into the overall plan.
Step 2 — Drafting and Execution
After the planning session and document review, we draft the trust and related documents tailored to your objectives. We review the draft with you to confirm language, appointment choices, and distribution terms. Once the documents are finalized, we coordinate signing in a proper legal format so the documents are effective under Tennessee law. We also discuss notarization, witness requirements, and safe storage of originals to ensure the trust can be administered when necessary without procedural obstacles.
Review Draft and Make Adjustments
Before execution, we review each provision with you to confirm that distributions, trustee powers, and incapacity instructions reflect your intentions. This review allows for fine-tuning of language and ensures that successor trustees and beneficiaries are named precisely. We walk through examples of how the trust would operate in different scenarios so you can see how terms will function in practice. Clear communication during this stage minimizes ambiguity and helps prevent disputes after the grantor’s incapacity or death.
Formal Signing and Document Safekeeping
We coordinate the formal signing of trust documents and advise on who should witness and notarize the instruments. After execution, we provide guidance on secure storage of originals and how to inform successor trustees and relevant financial institutions. Properly executed documents and accessible originals make it easier for those who will administer the trust to locate what they need without delay. We also provide certified copies and instructions for delivering documents to banks, title companies, and other custodians as needed.
Step 3 — Funding the Trust and Ongoing Maintenance
Funding the trust is often the most important follow-up step after execution. We assist clients with retitling real estate, transferring bank and investment accounts, and confirming beneficiary designations where appropriate. Once funded, periodic reviews ensure the trust continues to reflect current financial circumstances and family priorities. We recommend reviewing your plan after major life events and updating documents as needed to avoid unintended results. Ongoing maintenance preserves the benefits of the trust and ensures it functions as your plan intended.
Coordinate Transfers and Title Changes
Transferring real estate and retitling accounts can require coordination with title companies, banks, and brokerage firms. We provide the necessary trust documentation and directions to facilitate those changes and help confirm when transfers are complete. For property deeds, we can prepare or review conveyance documents and advise on required recording. Confirming each transfer reduces the chance that assets remain subject to probate, ensuring the trust structure accomplishes the intended outcomes for your beneficiaries.
Schedule Reviews and Updates
After funding, we recommend routine reviews of your trust and related documents, particularly after births, deaths, marriages, divorces, relocations, or significant changes in asset value. These reviews allow adjustments to trustee appointments, distribution terms, and beneficiary designations to reflect current circumstances. Staying proactive helps maintain the plan’s effectiveness, reduces confusion for successor trustees, and ensures that the trust continues to meet your family’s needs as laws and personal situations evolve in Tennessee.
Frequently Asked Questions About Revocable Living Trusts
What is the main difference between a revocable living trust and a will?
A revocable living trust and a will are both estate planning tools but serve different functions and operate at different times. A will takes effect at death and typically requires probate to distribute assets that remain in your name. A revocable living trust can manage assets during your lifetime and designate distribution after death without probate for assets properly funded into the trust. While both documents can work together, a trust often provides continuity in management if you become incapacitated and privacy for distributions that a will does not offer. A pour-over will is commonly used alongside a trust to direct any remaining assets into the trust at death.
Will a revocable living trust avoid all taxes?
A revocable living trust does not eliminate estate or income taxes by itself. Because the grantor generally retains control and the ability to revoke the trust, most tax rules treat trust assets as owned by the grantor for income and estate tax purposes. For larger estates that approach federal or state taxable thresholds, additional planning beyond a simple revocable trust may be advisable. Reviewing your full financial and tax situation with tax and legal advisors helps determine if further strategies are needed to address potential estate tax exposure while ensuring your trust fits your overall financial goals.
How do I transfer my house into a revocable living trust?
Transferring a house into a revocable living trust typically involves preparing and recording a deed that conveys the property from your individual name into the name of the trust. This process requires drafting the appropriate deed, executing it with notarization, and recording it at the county recorder’s office in the jurisdiction where the property is located. It is important to confirm whether any mortgage lender must be notified and to check for local recording requirements. Once recorded, the property will be held in the trust and administered according to the trust terms, provided the transfer is completed correctly and related documents are kept accessible.
Can I change or revoke a revocable living trust after it is signed?
Yes, a revocable living trust can usually be changed or revoked by the grantor during the grantor’s lifetime as long as that person has the mental capacity required under Tennessee law. The flexibility to amend or revoke a trust allows the grantor to update beneficiary designations, trustee appointments, and distribution instructions as life circumstances change. Changes typically require written amendments or restatements signed with the same formalities as the original trust. It is prudent to document changes clearly and notify successor trustees and relevant institutions when terms are modified to ensure smooth administration.
Who should I name as successor trustee for my trust?
Choosing a successor trustee involves evaluating reliability, judgement, availability, and comfort with financial matters. Some people name a trusted family member who understands the family dynamics; others prefer a neutral third party, such as a corporate trustee or a trusted advisor, to provide continuity and objective management. You may also name co-trustees or alternate successors to address possible incapacity or conflicts. It is important to discuss the role with the person you name, confirm willingness to serve, and provide clear instructions in the trust to guide administration and reduce the likelihood of disputes among beneficiaries.
Does a revocable living trust protect assets from creditors?
A revocable living trust generally does not provide broad protection from creditors while the grantor is alive because the grantor usually retains control over the trust assets. Creditors can typically reach assets owned by the grantor during their lifetime. However, trust provisions and complementary planning can address creditor concerns in limited circumstances when combined with other strategies, and certain trust structures created after careful planning may offer protections. It is important to discuss creditor risk with legal counsel to determine what protections are realistic given your assets and family circumstances under Tennessee law.
What are the costs associated with creating and funding a trust?
Costs for creating and funding a revocable living trust vary based on complexity, asset types, and the level of tailoring required. Simple trusts with straightforward asset inventories typically involve fewer drafting hours and lower fees, while complex plans with multi-state property or business interests require more extensive work. Funding costs can include deed preparation, recording fees, and bank or brokerage processing fees. Discussing fee structures and expected out-of-pocket costs upfront with legal counsel helps set clear expectations and ensures that the value of avoiding future administrative burdens is weighed against initial costs.
How long does it take to set up a revocable living trust?
The timeline to set up a revocable living trust depends on the complexity of the plan and how quickly documents can be drafted and executed. For straightforward cases, documents can often be prepared and signed within a few weeks, while more complex plans requiring coordination of multiple assets and title transfers may take longer. After signing, funding the trust may require additional time to process deed recordings, account transfers, and institution approvals. Planning ahead and providing requested documentation promptly helps expedite the process and reduces delays in making the trust fully operational.
What happens if I forget to fund my trust?
If a trust is not funded properly, assets that remain in the grantor’s name at death may still pass through probate, reducing some of the intended benefits of the trust. A pour-over will can help direct unfunded assets into the trust at death, but those assets will still pass through probate before being transferred. That is why funding the trust is a critical follow-up step after execution. We assist clients with checklists and direct steps to retitle assets so the trust functions as intended and to minimize the likelihood that property must go through probate.
Will putting assets in a trust affect my Medicaid eligibility?
Putting assets in a revocable living trust usually does not change Medicaid eligibility because revocable trusts are typically treated as grantor-owned for means-tested programs. Medicaid eligibility rules focus on asset ownership and transfers made within look-back periods, so revocable trusts that remain under the grantor’s control are generally countable for eligibility. Medicaid planning involves different strategies and timing considerations. If long-term care planning or asset protection is a concern, discussing options early with counsel experienced in those topics helps identify appropriate approaches under current Tennessee rules while coordinating with your estate plan.