This Week's Legal Insight

Here's something a lot of people don't think about: if a child under 18 is set to inherit money or property,
they legally can't just receive it. It doesn't matter how mature they are, how responsible they seem, or how
much they've earned it in spirit. The law says minors can't directly own large assets on their own.

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So what happens instead? If a parent didn't plan ahead, a court usually has to step in and appoint someone
to manage that money until the child turns 18. Then, on their 18th birthday, the entire amount is handed
over all at once, no matter how big it is and no matter whether the child is ready to manage it wisely.
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This is exactly why a testamentary trust matters. A testamentary trust is simply a trust that's written into a
parent's will. Instead of a child getting one giant lump sum the moment they turn 18, the money is held
and managed by someone the parent trusts, and released the way the parent wanted: maybe a little for
school, a little more at 25, the rest at 30. It gives the child's inheritance a plan, instead of leaving it in
limbo until a court decides what to do.

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Without it, a child's share can sit tied up in court oversight for years, with no clear direction, then arrive
all at once on a birthday, ready or not.

A Family, Just to Make It Real

The Rivera family has two kids, ages 9 and 12. Mr. Rivera passes away suddenly without a trust in his
will. Because his kids are minors, the court has to appoint someone to oversee their inheritance until each
of them turns 18. For years, simple things, like using some of the money for a school trip, require court
approval. And when each child turns 18, they receive their full share in one lump sum, ready or not.

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Next door, the Osei family set up a testamentary trust through FeedingBird. When Mrs. Osei passes away,
her two kids' inheritance doesn't sit frozen. The trust already spells out exactly how it should be used: for
school, for health needs, released gradually as they grow older. No court delays. No all-or-nothing
birthday surprise. Just a plan, already in place, doing exactly what it was built to do.

The Analogy

Think about teaching a kid to swim. You don't throw them straight into the deep end and hope for the
best. You start with floaties, then a shallow pool, then, when they're ready, you let them swim on their
own.

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A testamentary trust works the same way. It doesn't hand a child their entire inheritance the moment they
turn 18 and hope for the best. It eases them in: a little support now, more freedom later, until they're truly
ready to swim on their own.

The Takeaway

A child's inheritance deserves a plan, not a countdown clock that ends the moment they turn 18.

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A question for the week: if something happened to you tomorrow, would your child's share have a clear
plan, or would it be left in limbo, waiting on a court to decide?

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That's exactly what FeedingBird is here for. No matter your situation, your children's future is covered.
We make sure your legacy reaches your heirs when they're actually ready for it, used the way you
intended, at the moment it's needed most. So you can feel at peace, long before anything ever needs to
reach them.