Frost First. · Before you sign, settle, or answer questions — call us.(843) 419-6653
Frost Law GroupSummerville, SC(843) 419-6653
Estate planning · Summerville, SC

Estate Plan Review, Trust Amendments & Restatements

Already have a will or trust? We read it, tell you whether it still works under South Carolina law and your current life, and fix what does not.

Who helps with trust amendments or restatements in Summerville, SC?

Frost Law Group reviews existing wills and trusts—drafted by another firm, in another state, or online—and prepares trust amendments or full restatements in Summerville. Bring the documents; the review comes with a written list of what to change and why.

Where can I get a trust reviewed in Summerville, SC?

At our Summerville office. Tara Frost, who served as an Associate Probate Judge in Dorchester County, reviews the trust, the funding, and the beneficiary designations that work alongside it.

When a plan needs review

  • You moved to South Carolina with documents from another state
  • A marriage, divorce, birth, adoption or death in the family
  • You bought or sold real estate, a business, or a large asset
  • A named agent, trustee or guardian has died, moved away or fallen out of favor
  • The plan is more than five years old, or was drafted before the 2017 Uniform Power of Attorney Act
  • You used an online service and were never told about funding, recording or witnesses

Amendment or restatement?

A trust amendment changes specific provisions and is right for one or two edits—a new successor trustee, a changed share. A restatement rewrites the whole trust while keeping its original name and date, so assets already titled to the trust do not have to be retitled. Restatements make sense when a trust has been amended more than once, was drafted elsewhere, or is old enough that the tax and trustee provisions are out of date. Wills are simply re-signed; a “codicil” is rarely worth the confusion.

What our review covers

  1. Validity. Signatures, witnesses, self-proving affidavit, and whether the document meets South Carolina's execution rules.
  2. Fit. Does it still say what you want, with the right people in the right roles?
  3. Funding. Are deeds, accounts and designations actually pointed at the trust? This is where most plans fail.
  4. Coordination. Retirement accounts, life insurance, transfer-on-death registrations and joint accounts either support the plan or quietly override it.
  5. Ancillary documents. Powers of attorney and health care directives from other states are the most frequently rejected documents we see; we replace them with South Carolina forms.

Bring what you have.

Reviews are a flat fee, credited toward any work you decide to do.

Questions people ask

Is my out-of-state will valid in South Carolina?

Usually, if it was valid where signed. The powers of attorney and health care documents are the problem; those should be redone under South Carolina law.

Can you fix a trust from an online service?

Yes. Most need funding, a South Carolina-compliant signing, and clean-up of provisions that do not apply here.

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