Trust & Estate Administration

The attorneys at Hogan & Stickel provide guidance to individuals named as trustees or as executors of estates. We help ensure that you successfully uphold your fiduciary duties.

Trust administration requires careful attention to each detail of the grantor’s wishes. Our lawyers assist clients with the administration of a wide variety of trusts, including:

• Credit shelter trusts (CST)
• Incentive trusts
• Living trusts
• Generation-skipping trusts
• QTIP trusts
• Charitable remainder trusts
• Irrevocable life insurance trusts

We have the extensive experience in all duties expected of a trust administrator, including:

• Investment of assets
• Management of assets
• Preparation of accountings
• Preparation of tax returns
• Distributions to beneficiaries

A trustee can be personally liable for mistakes or omissions that result in losses for the trust. We offer sound advice to trustees to ensure accurate and complete compliance with all aspects of trust administration. If you have been named a trustee, we strongly recommend that you retain professional assistance from a trustworthy source.

We can guide you through all aspects of probate and estate administration, including:

• Filing the will with the California probate court
• Developing the best strategy for fairly and expeditiously probating the estate
• Finding and collecting assets
• Closing and opening bank accounts
• Transferring assets from the deceased to the estate
• Paying estate taxes
• Valuing, managing, preserving and liquidating the estate
• Locating beneficiaries
• Hiring experts, when appropriate
• Valuing and managing the estate

Our attorneys assist executors with the arduous process of collecting, managing, valuing, protecting and liquidating the assets of the estate. When appropriate, the firm calls upon accountants, financial advisors, real estate agents, property managers and other professionals to assist with executor duties. We can access expert opinions about unique assets such as antiques, rare books, automobiles and other collectibles for accurate valuation, management and possible sale.