a living trust is a document that places your assets into a trust during your life and then distributes them to your beneficiaries after your death. the trust controls the assets while the grantor is living and distributes them to named beneficiaries after death. one of the reasons a living trust is so popular is that it avoids probate. once the will is approved, then the transfer of assets can take place. a trust on the other hand does not need to go through probate and is not part of the public record (so no one knows anything about your beneficiaries or what assets you are distributing).