We guide trustees and beneficiaries through every stage of trust administration, providing legal support, practical help, and peace of mind.
Serving as a trustee can be a significant responsibility. After the person who created a trust dies—or when circumstances require a successor trustee to take over—the trustee may be responsible for identifying and managing trust assets, communicating with beneficiaries, paying appropriate expenses and obligations, maintaining records, and ultimately distributing trust property according to the terms of the trust.
For many families, this can feel overwhelming, particularly while they are dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Our office is here to help.
We assist trustees and beneficiaries with the trust administration process and can provide guidance from the initial review of the trust through the final distribution of trust assets.
You do not have to be an existing client of our office for us to assist with trust administration.
If your loved one created a trust through another attorney or law firm, we can review the trust and help you understand your responsibilities and the steps involved in administering it. Our office is committed to serving members of our community when they need assistance navigating the legal responsibilities that come with administering a trust.
Whether we prepared the trust or not, we are available to help trustees move forward with the administration process.
A trustee has important responsibilities to the trust and its beneficiaries. The specific duties will depend on the language of the trust, the nature of the assets involved, and the circumstances of the beneficiaries.
Trust administration may involve:
Every trust is different. Some administrations are relatively straightforward, while others involve significant assets, multiple beneficiaries, real estate, businesses, or complicated family circumstances.
Our role is to help the trustee understand the process and carry out the administration in an organized and legally appropriate manner.
Many first-time trustees are unsure where to begin. They may have the trust document but little understanding of what needs to happen next.
We can help guide trustees through the administration process step by step.
Our office begins by reviewing the trust and the circumstances surrounding the administration. From there, we help identify the issues that need to be addressed and develop an organized approach for moving forward.
Depending on the needs of the trust and the trustee, our involvement may range from providing legal advice and assistance with specific matters to providing ongoing guidance throughout the entire administration process.
In some situations, a family member or friend may not want to take on the responsibility of administering a trust. In other situations, the person serving as trustee may benefit from professional assistance in managing the administrative responsibilities involved.
When appropriate, our office may be able to serve in a professional role in connection with the administration of a trust.
This can provide families with an experienced and organized point of contact to help manage the administration process, communicate with the appropriate parties, and carry out the terms of the trust.
For some families, having a professional involved can also help reduce the burden placed on an individual family member and provide a more structured process for administering trust assets.
Trust administration can sometimes involve questions or disagreements among family members and beneficiaries. Trustees may be uncertain about their responsibilities, beneficiaries may have questions about the trust, or the language of the trust may require careful interpretation.
Our office can help clients understand the trust document, identify the issues that need to be addressed, and work toward an orderly administration consistent with the terms of the trust.
Our goal is to provide clear guidance and practical assistance while helping families navigate what can often be a difficult time.
Being named as a trustee does not mean you have to understand every legal, financial, and administrative issue on your own.
Whether you have recently learned that you are responsible for administering a trust, need help understanding your duties as trustee, or are looking for professional assistance with the administration process, our office is here to help.
Contact our office to discuss your trust administration needs and learn how we can assist you in carrying out the responsibilities of administering the trust.
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