Call Us: 828-452-9099
Trust Administration
Being named as Trustee is an honor — and a responsibility.
When someone names you as Trustee of their trust, they're placing real confidence in you. They're also placing real legal obligations on you. A Trustee has fiduciary duties to the beneficiaries of the trust, and those duties exist, whether or not you've ever administered a trust before, and regardless of what family members may expect or pressure you to do.
We help Trustees understand what's required of them — and we help them do it right. Contact us to start.
What Trust Administration Actually Involves
Trust administration is often more involved than people expect, particularly when it begins at the death of the person who created the trust. Depending on the terms of the trust and the nature of the assets, your responsibilities as Trustee may include:
-
Notifying beneficiaries and providing required accountings
-
Collecting assets, managing investments, and handling real property
-
Paying creditors and valid claims
-
Making distributions to beneficiaries in accordance with the trust terms
-
Filing required tax returns
The details matter. Missteps in trust administration can expose a Trustee to personal liability — meaning you can be held financially responsible for losses caused by errors or failure to follow the trust's terms, even if you did not know the law.
We support Trustees through every stage of administration, helping you fulfill your role with confidence and avoiding costly mistakes.
The Same Philosophy as Our Estate Administration Work
We bring the same approach to trust administration that we bring to probate: we're here to help you fulfill a legal role correctly, not just conveniently. The beneficiaries' interests matter. The trust terms matter. The law matters. Our job is to make sure you're honoring all three.
What We Don't Handle
Consistent with our estate administration practice, we represent the Trustee — not the beneficiaries of the trust. We do not represent beneficiaries with disputes about how a trust is being administered, and we do not handle litigation against Trustees.
Contact us if you need assistance serving as Trustee The trust administration process can feel overwhelming for individuals unfamiliar with trust law. We can help to ease the burden. Contact us to start the process.