what is a living trust 
a living trust is a legal arrangement established by an individual the grantor during their lifetime to protect their assets and direct their distribution after the grantor s death it is an estate planning tool that can help family members and beneficiaries avoid a lengthy public complex and sometimes costly probate process a living trust takes the form of a legal document the document lays out the terms of the trust and the assets that the grantor assigns to it a trustee is designated by the grantor as the individual or entity who at a certain point will control those assets for the benefit of the beneficiaries 