Trusts for Canonsburg Families: Planning and Administration

A trust lets you decide, in writing, who manages your property, who benefits from it, and when. Done well, it can keep your family out of the Washington County Orphans’ Court, protect an heir who cannot manage money, or shield a home from long-term care costs.

McKelvey Elder Law & Estate Planning drafts trusts and advises trustees from our office at 224 W. Pike Street in Canonsburg. Attorney Colt McKelvey combines a background in accounting with estate and elder law practice, which is the right mix for trust work: a trust is a legal document, but running one is a financial job.

Types of Trusts We Draft

  • Revocable living trust. You stay in control during your life, name a successor trustee, and your assets pass to beneficiaries without probate. Useful for families with property in more than one state or who want privacy and a faster transfer.
  • Irrevocable asset protection trust. Sometimes called a Medicaid asset protection trust. Assets moved into the trust more than five years before a Medical Assistance application are generally outside the look-back period. This is the main tool for protecting a Canonsburg home from nursing home spend-down.
  • Special needs trust. Provides for a child or adult with a disability without disqualifying them from SSI or Medicaid.
  • Testamentary trust. Created inside your will, typically to hold an inheritance for minor children or grandchildren until a set age.
  • Trusts for a second marriage. Provides for a surviving spouse while guaranteeing the remainder passes to your own children.
  • Charitable and church-related trusts. We serve religious institutions and donors who want giving built into their plan.

Does a Trust Avoid Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax?

Usually not. A revocable trust avoids probate, but Pennsylvania still taxes the assets at the same rates as a will (0% to a spouse, 4.5% to children, 12% to siblings, 15% to others). Some irrevocable trusts can reduce that exposure if funded early enough. Anyone who tells you a living trust eliminates PA inheritance tax is selling something. We will give you the honest math.

Trust Administration for Washington County Trustees

Being named trustee is an honor and a legal duty. Pennsylvania’s Uniform Trust Act requires you to act in the beneficiaries’ interest, keep accurate records, invest prudently, and provide information when beneficiaries ask for it. We help trustees with:

  • Understanding what the trust document actually authorizes
  • Obtaining a tax ID, retitling accounts, and deeding real estate into the trust
  • Annual accountings and beneficiary notices
  • Distributions, including discretionary decisions for beneficiaries with special needs
  • Inheritance tax filings when a grantor dies
  • Resolving disputes between a trustee and beneficiaries before they reach court

Will or Trust? The Honest Answer for Most Canonsburg Households

Many people who ask us for a trust need a good will, a durable power of attorney, and updated beneficiary designations instead. Pennsylvania probate is faster and less expensive than in states like California or Florida, so “avoid probate” alone is not always worth the cost of a trust. A trust earns its keep when there is a disabled beneficiary, a blended family, out-of-state property, a real long-term care risk, or a desire to control money over time. We will tell you which side of that line you fall on at the first meeting.

Related pages: wills in Canonsburg, elder law and Medicaid planning, estate administration.

Trust FAQ

How much does a trust attorney cost in Canonsburg?

We quote flat fees for trust packages after an initial meeting. A revocable living trust with pour-over will and powers of attorney costs more than a will-based plan, and an irrevocable asset protection trust costs more still. You will know the number before we draft anything.

Who should be my trustee?

Someone organized, honest, and willing. Often an adult child; sometimes a sibling or a trusted friend; occasionally a bank or trust company for larger or contentious situations. Name a backup.

Do I have to move everything into the trust?

For a revocable trust to avoid probate, yes: real estate, non-retirement accounts, and vehicles need to be retitled. Retirement accounts and life insurance typically use beneficiary designations instead. Unfunded trusts are the most common mistake we see.

Can I change my trust later?

A revocable trust, yes, at any time while you are competent. An irrevocable trust is far harder to change, which is exactly why it offers protection.

Meet With a Trust Attorney in Canonsburg

Call 724-276-5066 or request a consultation. We serve Canonsburg, Peters Township, McMurray, Cecil, Washington, Bridgeville, Upper St. Clair, and surrounding Washington and Allegheny County communities.