Protect Your Child's Inheritance with a Spendthrift Trust

About this episode

Michael Pevney discusses the benefits of spendthrift trusts for protecting children's inheritances.

Would your child make wise choices if they inherited $1 million tomorrow? If you're not sure—or if the answer is "definitely not"—this video is for you. I'm Michael Pevney, an estate planning lawyer based in Orange County, California, and today we're talking about spendthrift trusts—one of the most powerful tools in estate planning. A spendthrift trust allows you to leave assets like real estate, life insurance, and financial accounts to your children or loved ones—without giving them total control. That means your legacy stays protected from: • Substance abuse or addiction issues • Gambling or impulsive financial behavior • Divorce settlements • Bankruptcy or lawsuits • And most importantly, from your child's own bad decisions 🧠 With a properly designed spendthrift trust, your child can benefit from your legacy, without putting it at risk. You can set: • Age-based distributions (like 25, 30, 35) • Milestones (graduation, job, sobriety) • Limits on how and when money is accessed • A third-party trustee (your child should not be in control of their own inheritance) Whether your child is financially inexperienced, in a rocky relationship, or facing personal challenges, this type…

People in this episode

Host: Michael Pevney

Topics covered

• spendthrift trust
• inheritance protection
• estate planning
• financial responsibility
• trust management

Keywords

• spendthrift trust
• inheritance
• estate planning
• financial control
• trustee

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Orange County, California

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