Stepchildren
Learn how revocable living trusts handle stepchildren in estate planning. Explore how to include or exclude stepchildren from your family trust.
Do stepchildren automatically inherit from my trust if I don't name them?
No — stepchildren are not automatically included in a revocable living trust the way biological or legally adopted children typically are. Unless you explicitly name a stepchild as a beneficiary in your trust document, they generally receive nothing from the trust. This is one of the most common surprises families encounter during estate settlement. A trust gives you the flexibility to define exactly who qualifies as a beneficiary, so the document itself is where stepchildren need to be named and their share specified.
