No single trust does everything. An estate plan stacks trusts — each layer removing one distinct risk — into a coherent whole.
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Why stack
Each trust solves one problem. A revocable trust avoids probate but offers no creditor protection; an ILIT moves life insurance out of your estate but does not shelter your home; a dynasty trust compounds tax-free but does not help a disabled child. A complete plan layers them — the foundation, then the shields — so the whole is greater than any part.
Toggle each layer to build your estate plan
A classic family stack
A common arrangement: a revocable living trust as the foundation (probate avoidance, incapacity continuity), paired with a pour-over will as the safety net; an ILIT holding life insurance outside the estate; a bypass trust at the first spouse's death to capture both exemptions; a spendthrift clause protecting heirs from themselves; and, for a disabled relative, a special needs trust preserving benefits. Each layer addresses a risk the others do not.
The order matters
The foundation comes first — fund the revocable living trust and sign the pour-over will. Then add irrevocable layers (ILIT, GST, dynasty) which require giving up control, so they are built once the foundation is solid. Protection layers (asset protection, spendthrift) must be in place before any claim arises. Stacking is a sequence, not a shopping list — each layer assumes the one beneath it.