A Pour-Over Will is a type of Will that works alongside your Revocable Living Trust. Its purpose is to ensure that any assets not already transferred into your trust during your lifetime are automatically moved into the trust after your passing.
Think of it as a safety net, capturing any remaining property and ensuring it’s handled according to the instructions in your trust.
How It Works
When you create your estate plan through NetLaw, your Last Will and Testament includes “pour-over” language. This language directs that any assets still held in your name (and not already titled in the name of your trust) are to be transferred, or “poured over”, into the trust upon your death.
Once transferred, those assets are:
Managed by your Successor Trustee
Distributed according to the terms of your trust
No longer governed by the Will
Why It’s Important
Even with a Living Trust in place, you might:
Forget to move a newly acquired asset into your trust
Intentionally leave certain items out until a later date
Overlook minor assets or accounts
A Pour-Over Will helps ensure that:
No assets are left out of your estate plan
Your trust controls all distributions
Your wishes are still carried out, even for assets not previously titled in the trust
→ Related: What Is a Revocable Living Trust?
→ Related: How Do I Fund My Trust?
Keep in Mind
A Pour-Over Will still goes through probate for the assets it covers.
It does not eliminate probate but ensures everything ends up in the trust.
The goal is to simplify and unify your estate plan by directing all assets to be managed under one legal structure—your trust.