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Trust Administration After the person who created the trust dies, there is typically a need for some sort of trust administration. Although a successor trustee (often the surviving spouse) may at his or her discretion take on the trust administration on the estate of the decedent, it’s often necessary to seek out legal advice to make certain all fiduciary standards of care are taken, allocations between trusts are properly designated, and that all creditors and remainder beneficiaries are timely notified of the decedents death and the existence of the trust. An attorney can facilitate these transactions making the distribution of the decedent’s estate effortless and seamless. At the Geiger Law Office, we offer trust administration services to make your life easier during a time when your focus should be on the healing process and not chasing down creditors and dealing with trust administration laws. Let us help you when you are faced with trust administration duties. Probate Services Probate is the legal process of transferring a decedent's estate to the decedent’s legal heirs. This process involves:
(1) collecting and identifying the decedent’s property; (2) paying any debts and taxes; and (3) identifying the proper heirs and distributing the estate property to them. While the Court is involved in this process, most of the work is done by the estate executor or administrator with the help of an attorney. If a person is named as the executor of the estate in the decedent's Will, a court hearing to establish the validity of the will must be held before he or she can legally act on behalf of the estate. If there is no Will and a person wants to act as the administrator of the estate, that person must apply to the Court to be confirmed before taking any action in connection with the estate. Anyone taking actions involving the estate before formal appointment by the Court may be personally liable for those acts. Generally, the rules regarding probate are found in the California Probate Code, the local rules for each Superior Court and various tax codes and regulations. Each task in the probate process must be performed in accordance with the requirements of California law and the various tax rules. If you need help probating an estate of a loved one, please call us at (760) 918-5811 or e-mail us at info@geigerlawoffice.net