What is... a Trustee?
This is part of an on-going series of blog posts titled the "What Is..." series, where we attempt to explain, in simple terms, common estate planning terms and concepts. To read other posts in this series, click here.
A trustee is a person (or sometimes an institution, like a bank) who has the power to act on behalf of a trust. If you establish a living trust (as a trustor), then most of the time you will be the initial trustee. You act on behalf of the trust.
As the trustor (also known as the person who established the trust), you also name successor trustees -- people who will act on behalf of the trust after you, either because you no longer want to, or you are not able to do so, or because you have passed away.
As the trustee of your own living trust, nothing changes on a day-to-day basis. You even file taxes the same way. The living trust is more like a legal alias for you.
But what do your successor trustees do for your trust? Or, what do YOU do if you’re named as a successor trustee for someone else?
In sum: the trustee’s job is to carry out the directions set forth in the trust document.
There are some initial steps that a successor trustee must take after the death of the trustor. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list -- and this is exactly what we help with as attorneys. This is for informational purposes, to give you some idea of the responsibilities involved.
First, the trustee must accept the position so that they can act on behalf of the trust. Then:
In general, the trustee must notify the beneficiaries and heirs that they are beneficiaries of the trust.
Certain government offices must be notified as well, depending on the trustor’s assets and benefits. For example, if the trustor owned real estate, then the assessor’s office must be notified. If the trustor was receiving social security benefits or Medi-Cal benefits, those agencies would need to be notified.
The trustee must then inventory and determine the value of assets as of the date of the trustor’s death (e.g. appraisals of property, etc.). This is required to determine the value of the assets for tax purposes, and to provide an accounting of the trust property to the beneficiaries.
In addition to handling an estate tax return, the trustee may be required to file the trustor’s final income tax return for the year that they died. The trustee may also have to file an income tax return if the trust estate earns money before it is all distributed to the beneficiaries.
The trustee must then follow the instructions in the trust, within the boundaries of the law. This may include paying funeral expenses, outstanding credit card debts, etc. Some trusts have certain time periods during which the beneficiaries should receive a distribution, or they may have conditions that must be met before a beneficiary receives a distribution. Some trusts require waiting a certain period of time before the beneficiary receives a distribution, or the trust may contain outright restrictions on distribution. The trustee is tasked with interpreting and executing all of these instructions.
The trustee has a fiduciary duty to the trust. This means that just because they have the right to do something doesn’t mean that they should do it. For example, they may have the ability to sell trust assets like a home, but if they sell it for below the market value, or in a down market, they could have breached their fiduciary duty.
It’s important to know what the trust says to be able to execute its provisions and comply with the legal requirements.
If you are a successor trustee for a loved one, please contact us for a free initial consultation. If you have a trust, and would like to ensure that it says what you want it to say for your trustee, please also contact us for an initial consultation.