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Rhode Island Trust Lawyer
Planning futures. Protecting legacies. Preserving peace of mind.
A trust lets you set the terms: who receives what, when, and under what conditions, without a court involved. Our Providence trust lawyers draft the right kind for your situation, then make sure it is actually funded, which is where most trusts fail.
What a trust gives you
Assets pass privately, without probate
Terms for when and how beneficiaries receive
A trustee you choose, not a court
35+
Years experience
1,000+
Case representations
100+
Businesses served
24/7
Available to you
Is this for you?
Who this is for, and what it does
This is for you if
You want your family to avoid Rhode Island probate
You own real estate, especially in more than one state
A beneficiary is young, has special needs, or is not good with money
You want to reduce estate tax exposure
What it does
Holds title to assets under written terms
Names a trustee to manage and distribute
Continues seamlessly if you are incapacitated
Keeps the details out of the public record
How it works
From first conversation to signed documents
1
Choose the structure
Revocable for flexibility and probate avoidance; irrevocable for tax or protection; special needs or charitable for specific goals.
2
Draft the terms
Who serves as trustee, who benefits, in what shares, at what ages or events, and what the trustee may and may not do.
3
Sign
Executed with the formalities Rhode Island requires, alongside a pour-over will and the supporting powers of attorney.
4
Fund it
Real estate deeded, accounts retitled, beneficiary designations aligned. An unfunded trust does nothing.
What we do for you
How Tarro Law will help you
A plain-English conversation first
You describe your family and what you own. We explain the options without jargon, and you decide.
Documents drafted for Rhode Island
Every document is written to Rhode Island's requirements, not adapted from a generic form.
Scope agreed before we start
You know exactly what is included before any work begins. No open-ended billing on planning work.
Signing done properly
Witnesses, notary, and execution handled so banks, hospitals, and courts accept the documents.
Reviewed as life changes
A marriage, a birth, a move, or a sale can change the plan. We tell you when it is time to revisit it.
Direct access to your attorney
Phone, email, and the client portal, with a lawyer who knows your file. Hablamos español.
Trusts
What we prepare
The documents and steps that typically make up this work. Not every item applies to every client; we tell you which you need.
Revocable living trust
Irrevocable trust
Removes assets from your taxable estate and from creditor reach.
Special needs trust
Provides for a disabled beneficiary without affecting benefits.
Charitable trust
Supports a cause with tax treatment built in.
Pour-over will
Catches anything left outside the trust at death.
Trust deed
Real estate transferred into the trust's name.
Why it matters
Without a plan, and with one
Situation
Without a plan
With Tarro Law
At death
Will assets go through the probate court
Trust assets pass to beneficiaries directly
Privacy
Probate filings are public record
Trust terms stay private
Incapacity
A guardianship may be required
The successor trustee steps in
Control after death
Outright distribution
Staged distributions and conditions you set
About the firm
Local roots in Providence. Statewide reach across Rhode Island.
Tarro Law Associates has spent more than 35 years helping Rhode Island families and business owners plan, protect, and pass on what they have built, from its office on Broadway in Providence. Clients work directly with their attorney, and our attorneys are licensed in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Florida.
No office visit is needed for most planning work:
Meet by phone or video, or in person in Providence
Review drafts and share documents through the secure client portal
Sign with the witnesses and notary Rhode Island requires, arranged by us
Common questions
Trusts questions we hear first
What is the difference between a revocable and an irrevocable trust?
A revocable trust can be changed or cancelled while you are living; it avoids probate but assets in it are still yours for tax and creditor purposes. An irrevocable trust generally cannot be changed, and in exchange assets in it may be outside your taxable estate and beyond creditor reach.
Do I lose control of my assets in a trust?
Not in a revocable trust. You are typically the trustee during your lifetime and can buy, sell, and use the assets as before. The trust only changes who manages things after incapacity or death.
What does it mean to fund a trust?
Transferring ownership of assets into the trust: deeding real estate, retitling accounts, and aligning beneficiary designations. A signed trust that holds nothing avoids nothing, so funding is part of our work, not an afterthought.
Can a trust help with Rhode Island estate tax?
It can. Because Rhode Island's threshold is well below the federal one, trust structures and lifetime gifting are common tools for reducing state exposure. Whether they apply depends on the size and makeup of your estate.
Who should I name as trustee?
Someone organised, trustworthy, and willing, often a family member, with a professional or corporate trustee as a backup or alternative for larger or more complex trusts. We talk this through with you.
More ways we can help
Other services at Tarro Law
Wills, Trusts & Estates
Estate plans, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, and estate disputes.
Personal Injury
Crashes, falls, medical negligence, and catastrophic or fatal injuries across Rhode Island.
Fractional General Counsel
A dedicated business attorney on a month-to-month plan, for a set monthly fee.
Other estate planning services in Rhode Island
Next step
Make the Call™
Tell us about your family and what you own. We will explain what a plan would include, what it costs, and how long it takes. Someone answers 24/7.
Main office
Providence, RI
425 Broadway, Providence, RI 02909
Serving
Every city and town in Rhode Island, and clients in Massachusetts and Florida.
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