Welcome to the Rilus Law Blog!
One of our core values is empowerment and education is a key component of that. Because we are passionate about estate planning, we provide many free resources to empower our community. Explore the blog to gain a deeper understanding of estate planning, or feel free to reach out to us with questions. You could get all your questions answered in a free one-hour meeting with an experienced estate planning and probate attorney.
Explore all of our posts below, or search for a specific topic here.
First Estate Planning Meeting: A Complete Guide and Preparation Checklist
If you have been putting off your estate plan, you are not alone. A 2025 survey found that 55% of Americans don’t have an estate plan at all. We get it! Most people delay scheduling their first estate planning meeting because it feels like a massive, overwhelming homework assignment.
Estate Planning for Small Business Owners: A Guide to Protecting What You’ve Built
With the year 2026 poised to set new records for entrepreneurship, the number of small business owners in the United States is higher than ever. With this growth, one issue is becoming increasingly important: many small businesses operate without a clear succession or continuity plan.
How Estate Planning Can Help Avoid Family Disputes
Real-life disputes over estates are not limited to wealthy families. And they rarely begin with greed or bad intentions. Most conflicts arise from something far more common: confusion caused by unanswered questions, unclear instructions, or unverified assumptions.
Estate Planning for Wealth Transfer and Legacy Building: What You Need To Know
We are currently entering a significant era in demographic and financial history. As the Baby Boomer generation—historically the most populous and industrious generation—enters its later years, we are seeing the beginning of what is known as the “Great Wealth Transfer.” Over the coming decades, trillions of dollars in assets will pass from one generation to the next.
Understanding Irrevocable and Revocable Trusts: Which One Do You Need?
At the core of any effective estate plan is a well-executed trust, which, in turn, begins with the question: What kind of trust do I need? It comes in two foundational types: irrevocable and revocable trusts, each serving different purposes.
What Is a Pour-Over Will and Do You Need One?
Unlike what most people imagine, you don’t have to choose between a will and a trust when planning for your estate. In fact, many effective estate plans include both documents working together. One essential type of will commonly used with a trust is called a pour-over will.
Estate Planning FAQs: Common Myths & Misconceptions Explained
In uncertain times, estate planning can be one of the most valuable tools in protecting your family and your future. Yet many people still underestimate its importance or dismiss it entirely.
Types of Sub-Trusts: What is a Pet Trust?
Estate planning is a way to care for our loved ones after we pass away. And for many of us, those loved ones include the pets who offer us companionship, comfort, and unconditional love. It only makes sense that we include them in our estate plan.
Protecting Your Estate from Creditors: 5 Proven Strategies
Your estate, i.e., the money, properties, and other assets you own upon your death, is the fruit of your life’s hard work and sacrifices. While you cannot take these possessions with you to your grave, you can ensure they go to the people you love or the causes you support. While you are still capable and living, it is essential that you proactively plan for the future of your estate, including protecting your estate from creditors.
Living Trust vs. Last Will: Pros and Cons Explained
Of all the estate planning tools out there, these two are the most popular: Living Trust and Last Will. It’s no wonder that one of the most common questions people ask us is: "Should I create a living trust or a last will?"
Opening a Bank Account for a Trust, Estate, LLC, or Business Entity: A Step-By-Step Guide
Dealing with bank processes is a struggle, and more so if the account is for a trust, estate, or LLC (Limited Liability Company). These accounts, unlike regular bank accounts for individuals, have added challenges related to documentation, banking policies, and legal requirements.
Types of Sub-Trusts: What is a Dynasty Trust?
When it comes to estate planning, ensuring your wealth is preserved for generations requires more than just a basic trust. That’s where dynasty sub-trusts come in—a strategic tool that protects assets, minimizes taxes, and provides long-term financial security for your family. But what exactly is a dynasty sub-trust, and how does it fit into a larger estate plan?
Types of Sub-Trusts: What is a Special Needs Trust?
Carrying on with our blog series on sub-trusts, we now shine the spotlight on the special needs trust (SNT). When used as a sub-trust, the SNT becomes a valuable tool, offering financial support without jeopardizing the beneficiary's eligibility for essential public benefits.
Gun Trust Explained: Safeguarding Your Firearms
Navigating the intricate landscape of estate planning is already challenging for those with complex assets and situations. For gun owners, this challenge is amplified due to the unique legal considerations surrounding firearms.
Types of Sub-Trusts: What is an Age-Restricted Trust?
Of the many trust types that are used as a sub-trust, the most common is an age-restricted trust, also called age trust or trust for minors. When created under a larger trust structure, the age-restricted trust becomes a sub-trust that can specify the ages or milestones at which the beneficiaries can access the trust’s assets.
Maximizing Your Estate Plan: The Benefits of Putting Real Estate in a Trust
A trust is an indispensable tool in estate planning, providing critical benefits for the owner of the trust and their beneficiaries.
Leaving Money to Minors: Challenges and Tools
Money holds significance when it serves a purpose, and few endeavors embody a more profound purpose than securing the future of our children. From the earliest stages of their lives to the moment we pass on, the responsibility to provide for them resonates deeply within us.
Mastering Trust Administration: A Comprehensive Guide on Trustee Roles & Effective Management Strategies
Trust administration is a complex topic. Thus, we’ve created this supplementary post to further discuss trust administration and what you need to know.
Sub-Trusts: Everything You Need to Know
Trusts are one of the most effective tools in estate planning. A trust is indispensable when preparing assets and properties in the event of incapacitation or death.
Education Trust Fund: What is it & How to Set it Up
Estate planning without educational fund considerations is rare. One of the main reasons that you plan your estate is to ensure that the future needs of your loved ones are provided for upon your death. And access to education is the most basic need of many beneficiaries, especially minor children.
Still Have Questions or Not Sure Where to Begin?
Contact us today to schedule your free one-hour meeting with an attorney to assess your estate planning needs.