Trust Administration

In addition to representing personal representatives in probate administration, our firm also represents trustees in establishing and administering trusts. Just like a personal representative, a trustee is a fiduciary. A trustee has a variety of ongoing duties, imposed by both the terms of the trust and by Washington law. Our firm assists trustees in taking on this challenging job in a knowledgeable and organized way, including providing counsel related to communications with the trust beneficiaries, financial practices concerning the trust, distributions from the trust, and the eventual termination of the trust. We also represent trustees in relation to disputes with trust beneficiaries. For more information, please see Sherry’s blog post.

Representing Trust Beneficiaries

A trust beneficiary has ongoing rights to obtain a broad range of trust-related information pursuant to Washington law. In addition, a trust beneficiary has a right to expect that the trustee will fully comply with terms of the trust on an ongoing basis. Our firm represents trust beneficiaries in explaining the terms of the trusts and the requirements of Washington law. We will communicate with the trustee’s attorney and take necessary steps to ensure that the trust is being administered consistently with both Washington law and the terms of the trust. If needed, our firm also represents trust beneficiaries in relation to Nonjudicial Dispute Resolution Agreements to resolve trust-related disputes pursuant to Washington’s Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act (TEDRA).