Irrevocable Doesn’t Mean Inflexible
Irrevocable Doesn't Mean Inflexible
Your clients want asset protection. They also want to know they won’t lose control of everything they’ve worked for. Can you confidently explain the difference?
Join Lawyers With Purpose for a free webinar exploring five of the most important questions clients ask about irrevocable trusts, the planning provisions behind the answers and how the right trust structure can offer greater flexibility than many families expect.
Five Questions. One Important Planning Conversation.
A couple in their early seventies visits your office. They own their home outright and want to protect what they’ve built.
They’ve seen what long-term care costs can do to a family’s finances. They’re interested in asset protection, but the word irrevocable makes them hesitate.
Then come the questions.
- Can an irrevocable trust ever be changed?
- Will our beneficiaries lose the step-up in basis?
- Can either of us serve as trustee?
- Can we still access income or assets if we need them?
- When does the Medicaid five-year look-back period begin?
These aren’t unusual questions. They’re the concerns that often determine whether clients feel comfortable moving forward with an asset protection strategy.
And for estate planning attorneys, answering them requires more than a general understanding of trusts.
It requires knowing how the trust is structured, which provisions create flexibility and where the legal limitations apply.
What You'll Learn During This Webinar
Join Britt Shearin for a practical, 60-minute discussion exploring how thoughtfully drafted irrevocable trusts can address common client concerns while supporting appropriate asset protection objectives.
We’ll cover:
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Irrevocable doesn't always mean unchangeable
Explore how provisions involving trust protectors and limited powers of appointment may provide flexibility within an irrevocable trust structure. - Understanding the step-up in basis Examine how certain retained powers and trust provisions can affect estate inclusion and income tax basis treatment, and why the details of the trust matter.
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Who can serve as trustee?
Explore the considerations surrounding trustee selection, including when a grantor may be able to serve in a limited capacity and how trustee powers can affect planning objectives. -
Accessing income and assets
Understand why the distinction between income and principal matters, and how distribution provisions can affect both flexibility and asset protection. -
The Medicaid five-year look-back period
Review how the timing of transfers and applicable Medicaid rules can influence planning decisions, particularly when clients may need long-term care in the future.
See the Planning Provisions Behind the Answers
Understanding these concepts is one thing. Seeing how they’re addressed within a trust is another.
During the webinar, we’ll examine relevant trust provisions and compare different approaches to estate and asset protection planning.
We’ll also explore how the Lawyers With Purpose iPug® trust planning approach incorporates provisions designed to address specific client needs.
You’ll gain a clearer understanding of how trust design, drafting resources and appropriate planning processes work together.
What You'll Take Away
The Five Questions Card
A practical reference designed to help you approach common client questions about irrevocable trusts.
The card brings together the five questions, key planning considerations, relevant provisions and plain-English explanations you can use to guide future client conversations.
The aim is to help you communicate complex trust concepts more clearly while recognizing where additional legal analysis is required.
Who Should Attend?
This webinar is designed for estate planning and elder law attorneys who:
- Regularly draft revocable living trusts and want to expand their asset protection knowledge.
- Work with clients concerned about long-term care costs and preserving family assets.
- Want to better understand the flexibility available within certain irrevocable trust structures.
- Have encountered client concerns about control, trustees, tax treatment or Medicaid planning.
- Are interested in how LWP's education, drafting resources and planning systems support more comprehensive estate planning.
Help Your Clients Understand Their Options
For many families, the hesitation surrounding irrevocable trusts comes from uncertainty about what they may be giving up.
The right conversation begins with understanding what different trust structures can and cannot accomplish.
Join Lawyers With Purpose to explore the five questions that matter, the provisions behind the answers and how to approach asset protection planning with greater confidence.
Free to attend. Educational content for legal professionals. No CLE credit is claimed. Trust provisions, tax consequences and Medicaid eligibility outcomes depend on applicable law and individual circumstances. This webinar does not constitute legal advice.
Speaker
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Brittney Shearin Esq.Head of Product Development & Legal-Technical Attorney | Lawyers with Purpose
