Concealing a trust could run afoul of state law

If your estate plan includes trusts, you may want to keep them a secret from the beneficiaries, such as your children. But, don’t run afoul of state law, which may require trustees to disclose information to beneficiaries. For example, the Uniform Trust Code adopted by many states requires a trustee to provide trust details to any qualified beneficiary who makes a request. One way to avoid disclosure requirements is to not name your children as beneficiaries and, instead, grant your spouse a power of appointment over the trust. Your spouse can direct trust funds to your children as needed, but because they’re not beneficiaries, the trustee won’t be required to inform them about the trust.