In spite of all of the claims and controversy swirling around the death of the entertainment icon Whitney Houston, her will shows that she planned ahead and took steps to insure that her daughter Bobbi Kristina would be financially protected and provided for. As fellow blogger Bradley Anderson reports here,  Houston was aware that her eighteen year old daughter was already dealing with many of the same demons which plagued her own life, having had bouts with the effects of drugs and alcohol. Add to that the real possibility that one of the less reliable and trustworthy folks in the circle surrounding Houston could gain control of the singer’s estate and dissipate the assets, she chose the route of a testamentary trust. Thus she sidestepped the dangers of an estate fight with ex-husband Bobby Brown. While our reach from the grave to protect our loved ones is indeed finite, a well-constructed trust can help focus and safeguard assets for the benefit of a child already deprived of the guidance of a loving parent.