You have two options with your estate planning: a will-based plan, or a living trust-based plan. A living trust is a document where you appoint a chosen individual to manage your assets should you become incapacitated and distribute them to your family at your death. It is almost always preferable to have a living trust rather than a will because it is designed to avoid the time, expense, and publicity of probate, which a will cannot avoid.

I go over the difference between a will and a living trust in depth during the Peace of Mind Estate Planning Session.