Trust administration refers to a trustee’s management and administration of trust property following a settlor’s death pursuant to the trust’s terms and for the benefit of the trust beneficiaries. A trustee has a fiduciary duty to administer the trust properly and must not waste or mismanage trust assets. To ensure proper and effective trust administration, we recommend working with one of our attorneys to help facilitate the administration process.
Depending on how a settlor held title to the trust assets, the trust administration may largely be conducted privately, without court intervention. We can assist and provide counsel to a trustee in navigating the many steps involved in administrating a trust including, but not limited to, providing the required notice to the trust beneficiaries and administration timeline, providing notice to creditors, reviewing necessary tax filings, helping obtain valuations of assets, reviewing and finalizing the trustee’s accountings and obtaining approvals from beneficiaries or the court, and the appropriate distribution of trust assets to beneficiaries.
What We Do
- Uncontested Trust Administration
- Contested Trust Administration
Our attorneys have decades of experience in helping clients navigate both uncontested trust administration and contested trust administration proceedings. Each situation is unique, and we are available to assist to ensure effective administration.
- In re Robinson Trust, 110 Hawai‘i 181 (2006) (trust interpretation case).
- In re Medeiros Testamentary Trust & Life Insurance Trust, 105 Hawai‘i 284 (2004) (trust interpretation case).
- In re Elaine Emma Short Revocable Living Trust, 147 Hawai‘i 456 (2020) (trust interpretation case).
