Once you create a revocable living trust your job as the creator (often called the Trustor or Settlor of the trust) is to properly fund the trust initially and thereafter see that all the assets that should be placed in your trust are properly titled.
Once you pass away, the job of administering the trust is in the hands of your successor trustee. Your trust continues in existence and certain actions are necessary to carry out the purpose of the trust. These duties are done by your successor trustee. If you are the successor trustee of a trust, it is important to understand you have certain duties. These duties are called Trust Administration and may involve some or all of the following : paying the decedent’s debts, making an inventory of the trust’s assets, creating sub trusts if called for by the trust agreement, filing tax returns, transferring ownership of real property, notifying certain parties of the death (such as the Social Security Administration, Medi-Cal, and named beneficiaries), paying estate taxes within 9 months, paying property taxes on real property, selling certain assets, and making other decisions about investments if the trust is to continue.
Trust administration does take some time and attention to details. It often requires the assistance of an attorney to advise the successor trustee and assist him or her with the duties the job involves. If you need an experienced attorney to assist you as a trustee (or as a named beneficiary), call us or e mail us at Law Office of Scott C. Soady, A Professional Corporation and we will be pleased to offer you a complimentary consultation.