Estate Administration
Our estate administration services are designed for the non-professional executor/trustee and include all services needed to administer a decedent’s estate. These include:

• Review of titles to decedent’s assets at the time of death and preparation of corrective documentation, as required
• Preparation of inventories, accountings and allocation agreements (for AB/ABC trusts)
• Preparation of transfer tax returns (Forms 706/709)
• Preparation of distribution agreements and asset transfer documentation
• Initiation of various court proceedings required to complete administration of an estate, e.g., probate proceedings, petitions for instructions, and petitions to divide, reform or modify trusts
• Ongoing advice to the executor/trustee regarding his or her rights and duties as administrator of the estate

These assignments are handled in close coordination with other professionals, particularly the client’s accountants and financial advisors. Transfer tax reporting and asset allocations, for example, are typically reviewed in advance with the accountant who will prepare final income tax returns for the decedent and fiduciary returns for the estate.

We have prepared a guide to trust administration which is designed to acquaint the non-professional trustee with the basics of the trust administration process. To review this guide to trust administration in PDF document format, please click here. This guide may also be found in the Publications section on this website under the title, "Settling the Revocable Trust in California".