After the death of a person who created a trust, your role as a trustee is to follow these steps at a minimum, in addition to any other requirements that are specifically named in the trust. Start by gathering essential documents such as certified copies of the death certificate, the trust, and the trust document itself. This and any other estate planning papers may be essential.
You may need to share the estate planning papers with the estate executor if this is not also your role. You also need to provide beneficiaries with notice under California law. Specific language must be used in order to ensure your notice is sufficient. It can be helpful to find a trust and estates attorney in Pasadena to help you with this. Following this step, you need to identify and value assets, identify debts, responsibly invest any trust assets, obtain titles, file appropriate tax documents, maintain appropriate trust accounting, and distribute trust assets.
A trust attorney can assist you as each of these steps requires a careful understanding of the trustee’s duties. You have a fiduciary responsibility to administer the trust appropriately, and if you find this process overwhelming or confusing, it’s helpful to document your concerns and discuss them with a Pasadena-area lawyer. Our law firm has extensive experience in helping guide you through this legal process. If you want to get more guidance on creating your own estate plan and choosing a trustee, set up a consultation with our Pasadena estate planning firm.
