Trust Administration Attorney in Long Beach, CA
Administer a trust after a loved one passes without unnecessary delay or mistakes. Serving Long Beach and surrounding communities.
What Trust Administration Involves
When someone with a living trust dies, the trust does not just run itself. The successor trustee has to step in, notify beneficiaries, inventory assets, pay final debts and taxes, and distribute what remains. California law gives the trustee specific duties and a timeline. A mistake can create personal liability.
Most people serve as successor trustee exactly once — when a parent or spouse dies. It is not the kind of job you want to learn on the fly. We help Long Beach successor trustees do it right the first time.
What We Handle
- Initial trust review and trustee guidance
- Required beneficiary notices under Probate Code Section 16061.7
- Inventory and appraisal of trust assets
- Final debts, creditor claims, and tax filings
- Sub-trust funding and beneficiary distributions
- Trust accountings for beneficiaries
- Trustee liability defense if disputes arise
California Trust Administration Rules
California Probate Code Section 16061.7 requires successor trustees to send a notice to all beneficiaries and the deceased’s heirs within 60 days of taking over. The notice must contain specific language, including a warning that beneficiaries have 120 days to contest the trust. Miss the notice and the clock never starts — the trust can be challenged indefinitely.
Trustees in California have a fiduciary duty to the beneficiaries. That means acting in their best interest, avoiding conflicts of interest, keeping good records, and treating all beneficiaries fairly. Breach of fiduciary duty can make the trustee personally liable for losses.
Tax work is also required. The trust may need its own tax ID, a final income tax return for the deceased, and a trust income tax return. Real property gets a step-up in basis. Prop 19 may require action within one year. Missing deadlines costs families real money.
When You Need Help With Trust Administration
You should consider working with a trust administration attorney if:
- You were just named successor trustee after a parent or spouse died
- The trust owns a home or California real estate
- Beneficiaries are disagreeing about distributions
- You are not sure what notices you need to send
- There are debts, taxes, or creditor claims to resolve
- You want to avoid personal liability as trustee
Our Process
Step 1: Trustee Consultation
Free meeting where we review the trust, the assets, and what has to happen first.
Step 2: Notices & Inventory
We send required notices and help inventory and value all trust assets properly.
Step 3: Pay & Distribute
We handle debts, taxes, and distributions to beneficiaries per the trust terms.
Trust Administration Questions
Simple trusts can be wrapped up in four to six months. Most take six months to a year. Trusts with real estate, contested issues, or tax complications can take longer.
Send the 60-day notice to beneficiaries and heirs under Probate Code Section 16061.7. Then inventory the assets, secure the property, and figure out what debts need to be paid.
You can try on your own. Many trustees do. But the rules are strict, the notices are specific, and the tax issues are easy to miss. An attorney protects you from personal liability.
The trust does. Attorney fees for trust administration are paid from trust assets, not from the trustee’s pocket. The trustee also gets a reasonable fee for their time.
Yes, but only within the 120-day window after the 16061.7 notice is sent. After that, the trust is generally protected. Proper notice is the trustee’s best protection.
Request a Free Consultation
Tell us what happened and where you are in the process. We will respond within one business day.