The more you have... the more this is true.
All of our assets go into trusts -- and are all run by a local firm here called Laird Norton Tyee... and that's all they do. The trusts state what the kids get and when and how... etc.
We chose to set them up with annual payments (not enough to live off - but enough to make a substantial difference in "how" they'd live if they're earning a decent income already) that are indexed for inflation and also increasing in 5 year increments... so one amount each year at 25 and a higher amount each year at 30 etc. Until they're 50 years old - then the trusts turn over to self administered trusts (they can run their own trusts then) but we also choose an amount to fund each childs retirement which they can access at 65... which is in separate trusts so if they blow through all the rest - they can at least have one final safety net.
The trusts are set up so that with trust approval they can access additional funds for schools - buying houses - babies - weddings etc.. Trust automatically protect them from divorce - bankruptcy - lawsuits (think OJ Simpson here) and that kind of thing. So even if they're complete idiots the trusts are protected.
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