Connecticut Trust Planning
Connecticut Trust Attorneys
The right trust, built around your family, your assets, and your goals.
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20+ Years of Experience
Trust and Estate Planning
Trust and Estate Planning for Connecticut Families
You are here because you want to protect the people you love. Our Connecticut trust attorneys help families across the state build trusts that fit their real lives, not a template pulled off a shelf.
Trust planning is not one-size-fits-all. The right trust for a young family avoiding probate looks nothing like the right trust for parents planning for long-term care or a child with special needs. We start with your situation, then match the structure to it.
Connecticut adds its own wrinkles. There is the probate process, a state estate tax with its own threshold, and Medicaid rules with a five-year look-back. We break all of it down in plain English so you can make thoughtful, long-term decisions with confidence.
Avoid the cost, delay, and public record of Connecticut probate
Plan ahead for the Connecticut estate tax, separate from the federal one
Protect the family home and savings from long-term care and Medicaid spend-down
Keep your affairs private and your wishes in your own hands
A Plain-English Guide
Types of Trusts for Estate Planning
There are more types of trusts than most people realize, and the names can sound intimidating. Here is a straightforward guide to the trusts we handle, what each one does, and who it fits. Not sure which is right for you? That is exactly what a consultation is for.
Revocable Trust
Stays flexible during your lifetime. It avoids probate, keeps your assets private, and can be changed or revoked at any time. Best for families who want control and probate avoidance without giving up flexibility.
Learn more about a revocable trust.
Irrevocable Trust
Removes assets from your personal ownership to protect against Medicaid spend-down, creditors, and estate taxes. Best for families thinking seriously about long-term care planning and asset protection.
Explore the different types of an irrevocable trust
Medicaid Asset Protection Trust
A specific irrevocable trust designed to shield the family home and savings from Medicaid. Best for families who want to start the five-year look-back clock and protect what they have built.
See how a medicaid asset protection trust works.
Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust
Holds a life insurance policy outside your taxable estate, keeping the death benefit out of estate tax calculations. Best for families with significant life insurance policies and estate tax concerns.
Read about an irrevocable life insurance trust.
Special Needs Trust
Provides financial support for a loved one with a disability without affecting their eligibility for government benefits. Best for families planning for a child or loved one with a disability.
Learn about a special needs trust.
Domestic Asset Protection Trust
Protects assets from future creditors, lawsuits, and divorce, while keeping you as a potential beneficiary. Unlike most irrevocable trusts, it can protect the person who creates it, not just their heirs. Best for business owners, professionals with liability exposure, or anyone wanting creditor protection during their lifetime.
Charitable Remainder Trust
Lets you transfer assets into the trust, receive an income stream during your lifetime, and leave the remainder to a charity you choose. It can reduce estate tax exposure and provide a charitable deduction. Best for families with philanthropic goals and significant taxable assets.
Marital Trust
Provides income and benefit from trust assets to a surviving spouse during their lifetime. Commonly paired with a bypass trust to maximize estate tax planning. Best for married couples who want to provide for a surviving spouse while preserving assets for children or other heirs.
Bypass Trust
Also called a Credit Shelter Trust, it uses each spouse's federal and Connecticut estate tax exemption so assets pass to heirs without being counted in the surviving spouse's taxable estate. Often used alongside a Marital Trust. Best for married couples with combined estates that may exceed Connecticut or federal estate tax thresholds.
Testamentary Trust
Created through a will and only takes effect after you pass. Unlike a living trust, it goes through probate before becoming active. Best for families who want trust protections for beneficiaries but prefer to keep things simple during their lifetime.
Gun Trust
A specialized trust for firearms regulated under the National Firearms Act, including suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and automatic weapons. It lets multiple trustees legally possess and use NFA-regulated firearms without each person filing a separate transfer, and it simplifies passing those firearms to heirs. Best for Connecticut gun owners with NFA-regulated firearms who want legal possession, use, and transfer handled correctly.
For a deeper look at protection-focused options, read our guide to the types of irrevocable trusts.
Our Process
Connecticut Living Trust Attorney and Trust Planning Services
Working with a Connecticut living trust attorney should feel clear from day one. We keep our process simple and walk with you through every step.
Strategy Session
We listen first, learn your goals and concerns, and map out which trust structure fits your family.
Collaborative Design
We build your plan together and explain every decision in plain English, so nothing is a mystery.
Signing and Follow-Through
We finalize your documents and then stay involved to help fund the trust, because an unfunded trust does not protect anyone.
Our engagements are flat-fee and transparent, with no surprise billing. Most plans are complete in about 8 to 10 weeks. We stay with you through funding, not just drafting.
Real Families, Real Peace of Mind
Why Connecticut Families Choose Inner Circle
I have worked with Bryan Etter for the past four years on probate and estate planning matters, and I highly recommend him. He takes the time to thoroughly explain my options, making sure I feel confident and informed in every decision.
I have had the pleasure of working with Bryan for the past few months. He very quickly put an Estate Plan in place for my mother when we were in crisis. When she passed, he came to my home immediately, explained what comes next, and put my mind at ease.
Recently, I contacted Bryan Etter to consider a living trust. He was very thorough in explaining options. I felt very comfortable with his presentation. We went on to complete a trust. I'd definitely recommend him for any Estate Planning.
Inner Circle Legal Planning, PLLC exceeded my expectations in every way. Their professionalism and organization are outstanding. Bryan Etter, in particular, stands out for his knowledge, responsiveness, and genuine kindness.
Estate Planning is never easy, but thankfully, I came across Bryan Etter online in early Fall, who came highly recommended by his many positive reviews. Bryan immediately put my mother and I at ease during our initial consultation.
I feel compelled to share the wonderful experience I had working with Bryan Etter in my Estate Planning. I had thought that I only needed a will, but Bryan explained several other aspects of this process, such as needing a Health Care Proxy, etc.
I've had the fortunate opportunity to work with Bryan and his team on multiple occasions, and each time has been better than the last. He's extremely patient, detail-oriented and always very responsive, regardless of how simple my questions may be.
Working with Bryan was a very good experience for me. I wanted to be sure all of my affairs were in order, to make life easier for my children when the inevitable occurs. Bryan was very professional and clear about every aspect of making a trust.
Just recently my wife and I were looking for a law firm that handles Estate Planning and the process we would need to complete this task. We chose Bryan's team and couldn't be more satisfied with the knowledge and professionalism his team provided.
Throughout the process, Bryan patiently explained each step to me. He was always professional yet friendly, responsive, and conscientious. I'd highly recommend Bryan to anyone looking for an estate planning attorney.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Trust Planning in Connecticut
A revocable trust stays flexible. You keep control and can change or cancel it any time, and it mainly helps you avoid probate and keep things private. An irrevocable trust gives up that control in exchange for stronger protection, moving assets out of your ownership to guard against estate taxes, creditors, and Medicaid spend-down.
It depends on your goals. A will directs where your assets go but still passes through probate, which is public and can take months. A trust can avoid probate, handle incapacity while you are alive, and keep your affairs private. Many families use both together. We help you find the right mix.
Most of our trust plans are complete in about 8 to 10 weeks from your first strategy session to signing. Timing depends on the complexity of your assets and how quickly we can gather what we need to fund the trust properly.
We handle the full range, including revocable, irrevocable, Medicaid asset protection, irrevocable life insurance, special needs, domestic asset protection, charitable remainder, marital, bypass, testamentary, and gun trusts. If you are unsure which fits, that is exactly what your free consultation is for.
We work on a flat fee, so you know the cost up front with no surprise billing. Most revocable trust plans run between $5,000 and $7,500 depending on the complexity of your family and assets. The best way to get an exact number for your situation is to schedule a free consultation.
Protect Your Inner Circle
Let's Build the Right Trust for Your Family
You do not have to sort through this alone, and you do not have to guess which trust is right. Sit down with a Connecticut trust attorney who explains everything in plain English and has your back from the first meeting through funding. Your consultation is free.
