You might be surprised to learn that Trustees are not so easy to get rid of. It’s not impossible to remove a Trustee, but it’s not as easy as many people believe (or hope). That can be discouraging news when you have a Trustee who you believe is acting badly. So how do you go […]
There are many examples of bad Trustees either failing or refusing to keep the Trust beneficiaries reasonably informed. Under Probate Code section 16060, the Trustee has a duty to keep the beneficiaries reasonably informed of the Trust and its administration. Further, under section 16060.7, the Trustee has a duty to provide the terms of the Trust to […]
In California, Trustees can also be beneficiaries of a Trust. Even if the Trust has multiple beneficiaries. That means one person can be both the Trust manager (Trustee) and benefit from the Trust (beneficiary). You may ask ‘isn’t this a conflict of interest?’ Maybe yes and maybe no. Anytime one person is acting as both […]
Why can’t the judge just throw the other side’s case out of court? Can’t the judge see the other side is lying or bringing a bogus claim? That’s not possible in our court system because of a concept known as Due Process of Law. The American system of justice operates using a concept know as […]
Undue influence is when a bad person exercises their power over and elderly person and gets the elderly person to give them extra assets, or to cut the other beneficiaries out. The problem that undue influence is generally difficult to prove directly. Generally, a person will not admit they coerced someone into changing a Trust […]
Is it legal to name a caregiver as a beneficiary of a Trust or Will? The answer is… maybe. Here are the things you need to know about naming a caregiver as a beneficiary of a Trust or Will in California: When a Caregiver is Named as a Beneficiary of a Trust or Will, A […]
If you are an occupant of a property owned by a trust, here is what you should know. The trustee is the legal owner of the trust property and may have the right to evict you, even if you are beneficiary. The first thing you should do is ask the trustee for a copy of […]
Are you entitled to an inheritance under a trust, but the person in charge is mistreating you? Here are some of the ways trustees mistreat beneficiaries: Refusing to provide information Unreasonably withholding distributions Ignoring communication with the beneficiaries Exercising favoritism Misappropriating trust assets Failing to comply with trust terms Self-dealing or stealing trust assets Living […]
You Think you are Entitled to an Inheritance Under a Trust, but the Person in Charge Wont Hand it Over. Receiving an inheritance should be easy… right? If you have a good trustee, yes. If you have a bad trustee, obtaining your inheritance may involve some work. The first step is to ask the trustee […]
If you are represented by the right trust or estate litigation lawyer, he or she will have taken some time to prepare you for the deposition. Your lawyer may have taken a half day or a whole day to prepare you for the deposition questions, not just had a brief conversation in the parking lot […]
