Trust Administration is the process by which the person you put in charge of your trust assets (your “Trustee”) follows the terms of your trust. There is no court involvement, no supervising judge, and no one policing the Trustee. However, your Trustee is still bound by the fiduciary duties set forth in the California Probate Code. Trust Administration is generally preferred to probate because it is a much more efficient way of managing and distributing assets to your beneficiaries and the costs of Trust Administration are much lower than the costs involved with a probate.
What can I expect as the Successor Trustee?
This whole process could take anywhere from a few weeks to six months, depending on the size of the estate and number of beneficiaries. Below are just a few of the steps that we will complete for you.
Step 1
Lodge the will with the court located in the county decedent resided in.
Step 2
Send California Probate Code 16061.7 Notification to all heirs and beneficiaries named in the trust.
Step 3
Gather asset information and take possession of all trust assets.
Step 4
Update the title to trust assets.
Step 5
Obtain a tax identification number.
Step 6
Notify creditors.
What am I entitled to as the Beneficiary?
As the beneficiary of the living trust, you are entitled to the following:
Receive your inheritance pursuant to the terms of the trust
A notice that the trust exists along with a copy of the trust
A trust accounting of trust assets
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