Funding is left to the client
Many firms charge a flat fee for the documents and hand the client a letter saying they must move their own assets. Many never do.
From the fieldSechler Law Firm on why firms do not fund trusts
For law firms
A signed trust with nothing in it protects nobody.
A tracker for estate planning firms. Every asset gets a row: how it is titled now, how it should be titled, the document that moves it, and proof that it moved.
One-time build · $3,900
"Often not"
Left to fund the trust themselves, "the client will often not follow through and the trust never gets funded."
Why trusts end up unfunded
Every asset moves differently
A house needs a recorded deed. A bank account needs the institution's form. A business interest needs an assignment. Retirement accounts need beneficiary changes.
Company blogTrustFunding guide to funding a trust
Nobody checks it happened
The proof is a recorded deed with the recorder's stamp, or a new statement in the trust's name. Without a list, nobody asks for it.
Company blogTrustFunding guide to funding a trust
How it works
List the assets once
From the intake or the signing meeting: each property, account, business interest and policy, with who is responsible for moving it.
The right document for each
Each row shows what is needed, the deed, form, assignment or beneficiary change, and generates the cover letter for that institution.
Proof closes the row
A row turns green only when the proof is attached. Rows with no proof after a set number of days are flagged for follow-up.
What you get
- Every client's trust funding status on one page
- Letters to each bank or institution ready in a click
- A funding certificate listing every asset and its proof, for the file
- Funding work you can price and bill, instead of leaving it to the client
A good fit if
- You draft revocable living trusts regularly
- Funding is currently left to clients with an instruction letter
- You want to offer funding as a paid service
Probably not for you if
- You already outsource funding to a service that tracks it
- You rarely draft trusts
Price
$3,900
One time, for the finished tool. About 55–100 hours of work at the same $50 an hour as the cost calculators on this site.
Talk about your firm- Asset types and letters set up the way your firm works
- Connected to your practice software where it allows
- The funding certificate in your firm's format
- Training for attorneys and paralegals
Questions
What is a trust funding checklist?
A list of every asset that should go into the trust, the document needed to move each one, and a place to record that it was done. This tool turns that list into something the firm can track and prove.
What happens if a trust is not funded?
Assets left outside the trust are not controlled by it. Depending on the state and the asset, they may have to go through probate, which is what the trust was meant to avoid. Your attorneys advise on that; the tool only tracks the work.
Does it store full account numbers?
No. Only the last four digits and the institution, which is enough to track the work.
Does it work with Clio?
Yes, Clio allows a connection for matters, contacts and documents. For MyCase, the connection is only on its Advanced plan; otherwise it works on its own.
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Updated Sep 28, 2026Have a product in mind? Let's scope it this week.
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