A trustee is responsible for administering a trust at any time during its existence. A personal representative (executor with a will, administrator without one) is responsible for administering a decedent’s estate. Either role can involve a significant amount of work, much of it complex, that must be carried out consistent with legal and fiduciary responsibilities.
Every trust and estate administration situation is different. Based on our extensive experience, we can help guide you successfully through the process. We start with a review of the document(s) you are called upon to follow, to be certain that all of your actions are consistent with what is required and expected of you. We guide you in gathering up all needed documents and information, in order to assure that nothing “slips between the cracks”.
Our approach is always practical. We offer guidance whenever it’s needed or requested, but we also encourage the trustee or executor to personally take care of as much as they feel comfortable in handling, as a means of keeping legal fees to a reasonable minimum consistent with the nature and scope of what needs to be done.
Our experience-based practical wisdom enables us to identify situations and circumstances that could result in dissatisfaction on the part of one or more beneficiaries, or discord between or among them, and we can offer clearer solutions to help avoid or minimize potential problems, and guidance that protects you from potential liability in situations in which tension or complaints can’t be avoided.
If administration is genuinely simple, we’ll help keep it that way and help assure that administration is completed promptly. If things are or become complicated, we’ll help you to skillfully and successfully navigate the process.
