A will is a legal document that directs how your property will be distributed after your death and can name a guardian for minor children. A trust is a legal arrangement that transfers ownership of your assets to a trustee, who manages them according to your instructions—either during your lifetime or after your death.
The key difference is that a will goes through probate (a court process), while a revocable living trust typically avoids probate entirely. This means faster distribution to beneficiaries, fewer court fees, and greater privacy. Many families benefit from having both documents work together as part of a comprehensive estate plan.
Trusts and wills serve different purposes and work best when coordinated:
Together, they create a complete plan that covers all scenarios and protects your family’s interests
Whether you need a straightforward will, a revocable living trust, or both documents as part of a larger estate plan, the goal is always the same: clarity, protection, and peace of mind.
Estate planning solutions tailored to your life, family, and goals.
A revocable living trust lets you maintain control of your assets during your lifetime while directing their distribution after your death. You serve as the trustee, manage your property, and can modify or dissolve the trust at any time. Upon your death, your successor trustee takes over without court involvement. This approach provides privacy, avoids probate delays, and gives your family immediate access to assets.
A will is often the foundation of any estate plan. It names an executor to handle your affairs, designates guardians for minor children, and specifies how you want your property distributed. Even with a trust in place, a will captures any assets that weren’t transferred and ensures your intentions are clearly documented.
Commonly paired with trusts, a pour-over will directs any assets not already in your trust to be transferred into it upon your death. This acts as a safety net, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
Created within your will, testamentary trusts take effect after your death and are useful for providing ongoing management of assets for beneficiaries—particularly minor children or those who need financial guidance.
In certain situations, an irrevocable trust offers tax benefits and asset protection. Once created, these trusts cannot be modified or revoked. We evaluate whether an irrevocable trust makes sense for your specific goals.
Estate plans aren’t set-and-forget documents. We help clients review their wills and trusts after major life events—marriage, divorce, significant changes in assets, or relocation—and update their documents to reflect current intentions and changes in tax law.
We begin with a conversation about your goals, family situation, assets, and concerns. There’s no pressure to decide everything in one meeting—this is about gathering information and answering your questions. We’ll explain different approaches and help you understand which documents make sense for you.
After our consultation, we’ll provide a detailed questionnaire and checklist. This helps us understand asset types, beneficiary details, guardian preferences, and any specific wishes you want documented. We review this information thoroughly before drafting.
Leigh personally drafts your will and trust based on everything we have gathered. Each document is tailored to your specific circumstances — not pulled from a generic template. You’ll receive the draft in advance so you have time to review it carefully before we meet again.
We walk through each document together, answer any remaining questions, and make any final adjustments. Once you’re satisfied, we arrange proper execution with the required witnesses and notarization so your documents are legally valid in Texas.
A trust only works if it’s properly funded. We provide guidance on transferring assets into the trust, updating beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance, and ensuring your plan is fully in place — not just signed and filed away.
Ms. Leigh Goodson was fabulous in giving me advice for my father's situation. She was a wealth of knowledge and recommendations. We will be using her for further estate planning.
Leigh prepared estate documents for myself and my husband, and she did a fantastic job. Everyone at her office was friendly and easy to work with. The process was quick and easy, and we feel so much better knowing our affairs are in order. If anyone needs any estate planning help, I would 100% recommend Leigh and her office!
I knew from my experience working with attorneys for over 30 years that with a blended family my husband and I needed professional estate planning. Ms. Goodson provided us with excellent options and did a very thorough explanation of the pros and cons of each of them. She offered non-judgmental opinions and legal information about the equitable division of our blended families small estate. We chose to go with the more expensive trust option because it would be a simpler and less expensive probate for our children who almost all live out of state. She and her assistant made extra efforts to accommodate our schedule and the entire process was quickly completed. We highly recommend The Goodson Firm. P.C. for your estate planning and probate legal services.
Leigh Goodson is a professional attorney. She is available to clients and is responsive in urgent and standard matters. Her expertise has been very helpful. Highly recommend, The Goodson Firm.
Leigh Goodson is the attorney I trust to take care of my clients, friends, and family. She knows the law and works with her clients to make sure their priorities are addressed appropriately.
The right time to protect your legacy is before you need to. Schedule a confidential consultation and take the first step toward protecting everything you have built and the people who matter most.
Locations in Tyler, Dallas, Plano, The Woodlands, & Bee Cave, Texas
