Legal Zoom has a good overview: [link]

Much more expensive up front, but a good investment if you have assets or think you may eventually have them.

Quoting LegalZoom, because I still have that tab open: "A Living Trust is used to transfer property to beneficiaries. But unlike a last will, a living trust is not usually subject to probate court, which can take years and cost thousands in attorneys' and court fees."

My sister has one. As I understand it, the trust is legally a separate entity, to which you transfer your assets, but which you retain control of, and you name your heirs as the beneficiaries of the trust, so that when you die, ownership of the trust (and the assets it contains) simply transfers to them without going through probate.

Better info will surely come from actual lawyers on the board.

My mom and dad have theirs done, and their funeral plans paid for and it's a huge relief. There would be no drama between my sister and I, but they wanted everything nice and tied up.

D and I need to do that, esp. with M and the house and everything. If, heavens forfend, something happened to D, I'd be fucked. And my living will and DNR orders are from 1998,and give full power to my folks, which would be fine, I think, but it still needs to be updated.

My living will is basically "Kill me if I will have brain damage that leaves me vegetative or if I'm in a coma for longer than 6 months, then farm my bod out for parts and burn the rest. Then throw a party. Lots of booze. If you don't laugh more than you cry, I will haunt your ass. SERIOUSLY. Did I mention LOTS OF BOOZE? Love, Me"

But before the will, we must Do The Taxes this weekend. Please god, let us get money. Please, please, please.

My parents' wills are all up to date since October, because, yeah. My sister and I are still ignoring our own shit, though.

My father is also trying to put my name on all his accounts, but I have no real idea what's going on. I just keep signing paper and sending him ID. All he has to do is never die, and I'll never find out what he's doing.

We need to update our wills. At least my attorney sister helps us out.

I think Criminal Minds has found my cannibal pigs. Congrats, guys!

High fives Criminal minds!

Wonders if I want to watch now

And the pigs weren't cannibal, they were man eating

Trusts can, in theory, allow you to avoid probate. In many states they are preferable to wills, particularly if your assets are considerable. And that's all I know.

Tonight I made another NYT recipe that I recommend -- makeshift sous vide salmon. [link] Turned out darn delicious, which unfortunately Bob Bob preferred to my vastly easier "stick it on a 500 degree surface" method.

I made chess pie tonight, except the lemons in my fridge were actually limes. I'm sure it'll taste fine, though.

And I rolled the extra pie crust up with sugar and cinnamon, and I'm eating it now, yum.

And the pigs weren't cannibal, they were man eating

All pigs are cannibals. Don't fool yourself. These also ate humans.

But, no, you should be good. This isn't actually a gross thing, just my issues.

Okay, that cellphone ad with the speed dating where the woman google stalks the guy sitting across from her? Why is he even pushing that? Is she not officially jumping up and down and semaphoring red? I mean, beyond her obvious disinterest, because I get that some guys don't care about that bit. But this woman is obviously crazy life-ruining material.