Trust & Estate Administration
Transfers, accounting, financial coordination
Our firm is highly experienced in administering trusts and estates efficiently. We handle a range of tasks, including account transfers, preparing accountings, coordinating with financial institutions, and communicating with beneficiaries. In estate administration, we guide personal representatives through state statutes and court rules. Trust administration, which typically does not require court supervision, is often an efficient way to transfer wealth, especially with the rise of revocable living trusts.
Approach
We provide clear and comprehensive guidance to trustees and personal representatives, assisting with paying bills, filing tax returns, and distributing assets to beneficiaries. If living trusts are not fully funded, we address any need for probate administration and collaborate with trustees and personal representatives to ensure smooth asset transfer and legal compliance. Our team supports clients from both our estate planning practice and new clients seeking trust and estate administration services.
Goal
Our goal is to make the estate and trust administration process as efficient and proactive as possible for every client. When involved in the planning phase, we aim to structure trusts to facilitate the smooth transfer of property to beneficiaries while minimizing or avoiding probate whenever feasible. Through thoughtful and diligent administration, we strive to provide peace of mind and ensure that our clients’ wishes are carried out effectively.
Promise
At our firm, we are dedicated to simplifying the complexities of trust and estate administration with efficiency, clarity, and care. Whether guiding trustees, personal representatives, or new clients, we work to ensure a seamless process that honors your wishes and protects your legacy.
A quick guide to our process
Overview
Part of our process is to collect asset information from tax returns, inventory the assets, obtain date of death values of assets from financial advisors or appraisals and then consolidate liquid assets and investments into one or two accounts. The most common issue we see when trust planning is involved is an unfunded trust, meaning that the decedent’s assets were not transferred into trust name during the decedent’s lifetime.
Estates
What we generally ask for
- Personal information for the person who has passed
- An original death certificate
- Financial records, statements and tax returns; valuations of assets as of the date of death
- Personal information for the spouse and/or children of the deceased and other beneficiaries
Trusts
What we generally ask for
- Personal information for both the trustee and beneficiaries
- The reason the trust is being established
- Financial records and statements
- The related legal case and court approved settlement, if applicable
Guaranteed confidentiality
As in any communication between attorney and client, all discussions, planning and information collected are held in the strictest of confidence.