My thoughts on whether you need a will, a trust, or both, written from the perspective of someone who finally got their documents done at 33.

A will is the baseline. It specifies who gets your assets, who raises your children if both parents die, and who administers your estate. Without a will, your state's intestacy laws decide — which may not match your wishes and will certainly be slower and more expensive.

A revocable living trust adds complexity and cost but allows your estate to avoid probate — the court process that validates a will. Probate is public record and can take 6-18 months in some states. A trust bypasses this, which matters primarily for people with significant assets, property in multiple states, or privacy concerns.

For most people under 50 with straightforward finances: a will, healthcare proxy, and durable power of attorney is the minimum viable estate plan. Online services make this reasonably cheap. The most expensive estate plan is having no plan at all.