Plain-English meaning
Revocable Trust
A trust the grantor retains the legal power to revoke or amend under its terms and applicable law.
Why the term matters
It can organize management during life and transfer funded assets after death, but usually does not by itself remove the grantor's tax or creditor exposure.
Do not confuse it with
Revocability concerns the power to change the trust; probate avoidance depends on ownership and beneficiary arrangements, not the title alone.
Where you may see it
The term may appear in a signed will or trust, a court petition or order, a deed, an account or policy form, a fiduciary report, or correspondence from a tax or benefit agency. Read the defined-terms section and the complete sentence before deciding what role or action it describes.
Records that give the term context
- revocation and amendment provisions plus current capacity and successor terms
- the complete trust, amendments, schedules, and certifications
- deeds, assignments, account titles, and beneficiary confirmations showing funding
What to verify
- Who may amend or revoke, and what changes upon incapacity or death?
- Which assets are legally connected to the trust?
- What event activates a successor trustee's authority?
Example without case advice
If a notice uses “revocable trust,” first identify the person or property the word refers to, the document supplying the definition, and the deadline or decision attached to it. The same word can carry a different procedural effect in a trust, probate file, tax form, or account contract.
Sources to verify
Use the controlling court, agency, statute, provider record, or governing document before relying on a general explanation.