Trusts are more commonly used in the Estate Plan of a middle-class New Yorker than conventional wisdom would predict.  For instance, a trust for the benefit of minor children is always a good idea when planning for their lives after the death of both parents.  Parents and grandparents of a child with special needs will find the many advantages of a supplemental needs trust worth exploring. Elderly couples may find an irrevocable income only trust a useful tool in their Medicaid Planning.