Answers

How much does a trust cost in Illinois?

By Adam Lysinski, Attorney · Updated May 16, 2026

A revocable living trust package at Lysinski & Associates starts at $2,000 and includes the trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney, and one deed transfer.

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Short answer

A revocable living trust package at Lysinski & Associates P.C. starts at $2,000. That includes the trust, a pour-over will, financial and healthcare powers of attorney, HIPAA authorization, trust-funding instructions, and one Illinois deed transferring real estate into the trust. Multiple properties, out-of-state real estate, or estate-tax planning above the $4M Illinois threshold add complexity and cost, scoped at intake.

What the package includes

The $2,000 starting package is a complete foundational estate plan, not just a trust document. It includes the revocable living trust itself; a pour-over will that catches any asset not titled in the trust; financial power of attorney; healthcare power of attorney; HIPAA authorization; written trust-funding instructions; and one Illinois deed transferring a piece of real estate into the trust.

Funding support matters. A trust that is signed but not funded does not avoid probate. The package includes the deed and the instructions so the trust actually works.

What adds cost

Additional real estate. Each additional Illinois property needs its own deed. Out-of-state real estate requires a deed prepared under that state's law, often with local counsel.

Estate-tax planning. Estates above the Illinois $4M estate-tax threshold or the federal $15M threshold (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) need advanced structures — irrevocable trusts, GRATs, SLATs, gifting strategies. These are scoped separately at intake.

Complex family or business situations. Blended families, special-needs beneficiaries, closely held business interests, and asset-protection goals all add drafting complexity.

Trust cost vs. probate cost

The relevant comparison is not trust cost against zero — it is trust cost against the cost of probate. Illinois probate involves court filing fees, publication costs, executor compensation, and attorney fees, and it ties the estate up for 9 to 18 months or longer. For many Illinois families the upfront cost of a funded trust is lower than the eventual cost of probating the same estate, before counting the value of privacy and incapacity protection.

Related questions

How much does a trust cost in Illinois?
A revocable living trust package at Lysinski & Associates P.C. starts at $2,000. It includes the trust, a pour-over will, financial and healthcare powers of attorney, HIPAA authorization, trust-funding instructions, and one Illinois deed transferring real estate into the trust.
What makes a trust cost more than the base price?
Additional Illinois properties, out-of-state real estate, estate-tax planning above the Illinois $4M or federal $15M thresholds, and complex family or business situations — blended families, special-needs beneficiaries, business interests — all add drafting complexity and cost, scoped at intake.
Is a trust cheaper than probate?
For many Illinois families, yes. The comparison is trust cost against the cost of probating the same estate — court fees, publication, executor compensation, and attorney fees, over 9 to 18 months or longer. The upfront cost of a funded trust is often lower than the eventual cost of probate, before counting privacy and incapacity protection.
Does the trust package include funding the trust?
Yes. The starting package includes written trust-funding instructions and one Illinois deed transferring real estate into the trust. Funding is essential — a trust that is signed but not funded does not avoid probate.

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