Pour-Over Wills in Dunlap

Start by matching the will to the trust

Check whether the will identifies the trust you intend to use, and compare that reference with the trust document you currently keep. If you have amended, restated, or replaced trust documents, gather each version rather than assuming an older will points to the intended one. The review should clarify whether the documents appear to work together and whether any changes need to be considered.

Keep the roles distinct: the will gives instructions about estate property, while the trust document sets out trust terms and the trustee’s role. A person named to handle one role does not automatically have every other form of authority.

Compare the intended plan with current ownership

A will’s instruction is not the same as having an asset already held in a trust. Make a side-by-side list of significant property and its current owner or title, then note whether you believe it is in the trust. Flag anything uncertain instead of assuming the will has already changed its ownership.

For each item, ask whether the next step is to check a title or account record, consider a change in ownership, or leave the arrangement as it is. These are different decisions, and the appropriate approach can depend on the asset and your plan. Beneficiary instructions and jointly held property should be recorded separately rather than treated as trust-owned simply because they are part of the same overall plan.

• List the asset and how ownership is currently recorded.
• Record the trust name and the version or date you are comparing.
• Mark uncertain items and note what record could help resolve the question.

Use a property checklist before making changes

Bring the will, current trust document and amendments, and a property checklist to a review. Where available, include recent deeds or account records that show ownership or beneficiary instructions. Do not make a transfer based only on the fact that an asset is missing from the trust list; first ask what ownership change is intended and whether it fits the rest of the plan.

If land in Sequatchie County is part of the review, UT CTAS lists a county Register of Deeds contact at PO Box 174, Dunlap, TN 37327. Confirm current contact and visit information before relying on the directory. A directory listing or recorded document is not a title determination or advice about which transfer is appropriate.

Questions for an estate-plan review

Dale Law Group, PLLC, offers pour-over-will and revocable-living-trust services to clients in Tennessee. Useful questions include: Does this will identify the trust I currently intend to use? Which property appears to be outside it, and what records should I check? Are there assets for which a beneficiary instruction or other ownership arrangement should be reviewed separately? What should be coordinated before I change title?