This week, work with your attorney to move the deed to your house into your living trust and set up your bank and brokerage accounts the way your attorney's plan says. Tell your successor trustee where to find the signed trust and how to reach your attorney.
Those are your first three jobs. You don't have to finish every form today. Start the calls, write down who's handling each step, and keep the replies in one place.
This guide is for families who just signed a revocable living trust. Use it alongside the written instructions from your attorney.
I just signed my living trust. What's next?
Start with these three things this week:
- Check the deed to your house. Ask your attorney, "Did you already prepare and record the deed, or is that still on my list?" If it's still open, ask who will handle it and what they need from you. Keep a copy of the recorded deed with your trust papers. If you rent, skip this step.
- Call your bank and brokerage. Have your attorney's funding instructions in front of you. Ask what forms they need to retitle your checking account, savings account, or brokerage account, or to set up the accounts your plan calls for. Ask how you'll get written confirmation when the work is done.
- Contact your successor trustee. Tell them they've been named in your trust. Share where the signed documents are, how to get to them, and your attorney's contact details. Ask if they're still comfortable being your choice.
Why start here? A signature and a finished funding plan aren't the same thing. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains that a living trust needs money or property transferred into it before it can work. Ask your attorney to check the house deed and each account against the plan, rather than guessing from the trust's cover page.
For help keeping the paperwork and follow-ups together, TrustHelm works alongside your family's attorney. Create an account to start organizing your trust records.
What do I do after signing a trust?
Once those first calls are underway, use the next 90 days to close the open items. This is an organizing goal for this guide. Ask your attorney which steps have deadlines in your situation and put those first.
Days 1-7: get the work moving
Save the signed trust, any amendments, your will, and the other documents from your signing appointment. Make readable scans of every signed page. Keep the originals somewhere safe and write down the location.
Use the trust funding checklist to make a list of the house, checking account, savings account, and brokerage account you're reviewing. For each one, add the next action, the person handling it, and a follow-up date. Mark it "waiting for confirmation" until you have the record you asked for.
Days 8-30: follow up on deeds and accounts
Check back with your attorney, bank, and brokerage. Save the recorded deed and account confirmations as they arrive. Compare the names on those records with the instructions your attorney gave you. If something doesn't match, send your attorney the record and ask what needs fixing.
Keep your IRA and 401(k) beneficiary forms on a separate review list. The IRS says retirement-account beneficiaries must be named through the plan's procedures, and some plans require particular beneficiaries. Ask your attorney and plan provider who to name and which forms to use. Don't change them just to match the name on your checking account.
Days 31-60: check what's still open
Review the list again. Does each completed row have a document to back it up? Did the bank ask for another signature? Is the deed still waiting to be recorded?
Bring your life insurance beneficiary form, your car title, and any paperwork for a rental house or small business to your attorney's attention too. Ask how each fits into your plan. Write down the answer and who's taking the next step.
Days 61-90: give your people a usable map
Sit down with your successor trustee and walk through the folder. Show them the signed trust, the deed and account records, and the list of work still open. Add phone numbers for your attorney, tax preparer, bank, and brokerage.
Share the successor trustee first-steps guide as a starting point for questions they can ask your attorney. Put a yearly check-in on your calendar, and revisit the folder when you buy a house, open an account, or change a person named in your plan.
Common questions
As you work through the list, these are the questions that tend to come up.
I just signed my living trust. What's next?
Start the house-deed and bank-account work your attorney laid out, and tell your successor trustee where the signed trust is. Ask your attorney what they already completed at signing so you don't repeat it. Keep a short list of what's left and who's handling each item.
What do I do after signing a trust?
Follow your attorney's funding instructions for the house and accounts, then save proof of each completed step. Organize the signed documents and current contact details in one folder. Use the 90-day plan above to schedule follow-ups instead of trying to do everything in one afternoon.
Do I have to do anything after my trust is signed?
Yes: check what still needs doing under your attorney's plan. The CFPB explains that transferring money or property into the trust is what makes it work. Ask for a written list of unfinished steps, then check them off as confirmations arrive.
How long do I have to fund my trust?
Ask your attorney what needs to happen first and whether any deadlines apply to your plan. The 90 days here is a way to organize follow-up, not a legal deadline. Start this week, and call your attorney if a deed or account change gets stuck.
Who should get a copy of my trust?
Ask your attorney who should have a full copy now and what to give a bank or brokerage when it asks for paperwork. Tell your successor trustee where the signed copy is and discuss how they'll get access to it. Before sending private family details, check with your attorney which pages or documents to share.
Where should I keep my trust documents?
Keep the signed originals in a secure place, such as a fire-resistant home safe, and keep readable digital copies in a protected folder with a backup. Store the deed, account confirmations, and contact list with them. Tell your successor trustee the location and agree on a way to get access when needed.
This guide is educational, not legal advice. Attorneys who do estate planning can help you decide what to do for your family.