Trust Administration

After a Trust is created and the Trustor (the person that established the trust) dies, there will be a trust administration. A Trustee is required to maintain the trust and carry out the Trust provisions. Even a well drafted trust will require a significant amount of work by the Trustee in order to gather assets, distribute funds, manage and control the trust estate and sometimes prepare and file an estate tax return. Attorneys are generally employed to advise and assist Trustees in their roles if the Trust has numerous assets or the Trust provisions are complex.

Trustees must follow very strict rules and are accountable for the actions they take in their role as Trustee of a Trust. The California Probate Code sets out the duties of Trustees in the State of California. If you have any questions regarding your responsibilities as a Trustee you should seek competent advice as the rules can be complex.