You want to do the right thing. You want to make sure that the terms of the trust are upheld, that the wishes of the person who created the trust are honored, and that the trust beneficiaries are treated fairly. As the trustee, it is up to you to make sure that these things happen. You will have done your job successfully if all of these things happen, but how do you get started? How can you accomplish this goal? How can you be a successful trustee?
Here’s What You Need to Know
In order to be a successful trustee you have to do your job. To that end, it is important for you to:
- Understand the responsibilities of a trustee.
- Understand the specific terms of the trust that you are administering.
- Know how to meet the required deadlines and administer the trust fairly.
This will require you to do some work, but it is work that you can handle.
And You Don’t Have to Do it Alone
You have the right to contact a trust and estate attorney to help you implement the trust. An attorney can answer any of your questions and make sure that there are no details that you are forgetting. A lawyer can also help you avoid future legal trouble by taking the right steps now.
It is important that you don’t confuse being a successful trustee with being a popular trustee. You did not write the terms of the trust and it is not your job to change or judge the terms of the trust. It is not your job to make the beneficiaries happy. Your job is simply to administer the trust the way that it is written and in accordance with California law.
If you have questions about implementing a specific trust or if you would like help doing your job as trustee then we encourage you to browse the free resources available on this website and to contact us via this website to schedule a meeting.