what to do about a problem with a trustee attorney

How do you hold a trustee accountable?

The Options for you to Hold the Trustee AccountableContact the Trustee. ... Write a Letter. ... Hire an inexpensive lawyer. ... Hire an expensive lawyer. ... Hire an attorney who can take court action.

Can a trustee be held personally liable?

Yes, trustees can be held personally liable for losses sustained by the trust if they are found to be in breach of their fiduciary duties. Trustees owe trust beneficiaries the highest legal duty possible, which is known as a fiduciary duty.

What makes a trustee unfit?

Sometimes the language of the trust sets forth the grounds for establishing incompetence. If not, case law in California requires evidence that a trustee is substantially unable to resist fraud, duress, menace or undue influence or is no longer able to provide for his personal needs, such as food, shelter and clothing.

How do you overturn a trustee?

According to California Probate Code §15642, a trustee can be removed according to the terms of the trust instrument, by the probate court on its own motion, or if the trustmaker, a co-trustee, or a beneficiary files a petition for removal in the probate court.

What are the legal obligations of a trustee?

The trustee acts as the legal owner of trust assets, and is responsible for handling any of the assets held in trust, tax filings for the trust, and distributing the assets according to the terms of the trust. Both roles involve duties that are legally required.

Can a trustee do whatever they want?

The trustee cannot do whatever they want. They must follow the trust document, and follow the California Probate Code. More than that, Trustees don't get the benefits of the Trust. The Trust assets will pass to the Trust beneficiaries eventually.Apr 30, 2019

What disqualifies you from being a trustee?

Individuals are already automatically disqualified as charity trustees if they have unspent convictions for offences of dishonesty or deception (the same goes for attempting, aiding or abetting these offences). A spent conviction doesn't disqualify anyone – the disqualification only applies to unspent convictions.Aug 1, 2018

Can a trustee withhold money from a beneficiary?

Can a trustee refuse to pay a beneficiary? Yes, a trustee can refuse to pay a beneficiary if the trust allows them to do so. Whether a trustee can refuse to pay a beneficiary depends on how the trust document is written. Trustees are legally obligated to comply with the terms of the trust when distributing assets.

Can a beneficiary remove a trustee?

Whether or not the trustee elects to given anything to a beneficiary is at the trustee's discretion. However, if a trustee simply declines a request out of hand, without giving it due thought, the beneficiary can actually apply to the Court to remove the trustee and appoint another trustee.

What happens if trustees disagree?

If the trust document is silent about removing a trustee or there is a disagreement between the other trustees and beneficiaries as to whether they should be removed, then either the other trustees or beneficiaries can to apply to court to have them removed.

How do I remove myself from a trust?

The first step in dissolving a revocable trust is to remove all the assets that have been transferred into it. The second step is to fill out a formal revocation form, stating the grantor's desire to dissolve the trust.

How do I remove someone from my family trust?

How is a trustee removed? Under California Probate Code §17200, a trustee or beneficiary of a trust may petition the probate court concerning the internal affairs of the trust, which includes the removal of a trustee. A beneficiary or co-trustee can submit a petition to remove a trustee to the court.

What is a trustee in a trust?

A trustee holds property or assets in trust for one person, to be transferred to another. A common example of the creation of a trustee is when a person creates a valid trust and grants authority to a person to hold property and assets. The trustee will hold these until certain conditions have been fulfilled for the transfer from the trustor to ...

Is the Code of Ethics binding?

Although the code is not binding, it does provide guidelines for attorneys to make sense of their ethical and moral choices. As attorneys are held to a higher ethical standard, it is imperative that they ensure they are not acting unethically in their zealous representation of you or they may face penalties.

What is a board of trustees?

Additionally, a board of trustees oversees a group’s finances. Many non-profit organizations operate under a board of trustees. Trusts are regularly drafted by attorneys, so at first glance, appointing your attorney as your trustee seems like a convenient and great idea. However, there are a number of ethical risks that may arise ...

Can a trustee resign without the consent of all beneficiaries?

However, the trustee must voluntarily accept the position. Further, once accepted, a trustee is not allowed to resign without the consent of all of the named beneficiaries to the trust or with the permission of a court of law.

What is exculpatory language?

Exculpatory language is wording and phrasing that frees one party from certain liability, while waiving the rights of the other. Exculpatory language is often used in contracts to essentially strip one party of their rights, such as the right to sue.

What are the duties of a trustee?

Under the law, a trustee has fiduciary duties including a duty of loyalty, a duty of prudence, and subsidiary duties. If a trustee breaches any of these duties, they will be held personally liable.

What is the duty of loyalty of a trustee?

The duty of loyalty requires that the trustee administer the trust solely in the interest of the beneficiaries. Also, the duty of prudence requires that the trustee is held to an objective standard of care in managing the trust property.

What does a trustee do?

A Trustee simply must communicate with the beneficiaries. It doesn’t matter if the beneficiaries are hard to deal with or they get angry or they yell, or whatever the situation is, a Trustee still must communicate with the beneficiaries and keep the beneficiaries reasonably informed of all the actions that the Trustee is taking on behalf ...

Can a trustee talk to you?

Of course, as a Trust beneficiary you should not give the Trustee any reason to not talk to you. Being abusive, confrontational, or yelling does not promote open lines of communication. And if you are not able to speak with your Trustee without being any of these things, then you should communicate in writing instead.

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At the first sign of a problem with your attorney, contact them right away.

If you think your attorney has acted unethically

If you believe that your attorney acted unethically, you should consider filing a complaint with the State Bar. You can complete a complaint form online or download a PDF complaint form from the State Bar’s website.

If you have a problem with billing or fees

First, talk to your lawyer about it. You may find that the case was more complicated and took more time than you realized. Your lawyer may also find that a billing mistake was made. More information about resolving fee disputes

If you want to file a complaint against your attorney

To file a complaint against your attorney, use the online complaint form . Or download a PDF version of the form. Fill it out and mail it to:

Who is the trustee of a deed?

The trustee is the party to whom the deed must be granted, because the trustee is an individual who can take title. So a deed cannot be granted to a trust, it must be granted to a trustee. But a grant to a trust without naming the trustee does not necessarily fail.

Can a contract be void?

It is also possible that the contract will simply be found to be void and the conveyance fails. In that case, one should get a new deed from the trustee or the successor trustee. As a matter of policy, this is why it is important for attorneys to know the condition of title before drafting deeds.

What is a trust relationship?

It is simply a fiduciary relationship between people. There is a trustee or trustees, a trust maker (the settlor), and a beneficiary or beneficiaries. These people do not form an entity; the trust is their legal relationship with one another.

Is a trust a fiduciary relationship?

The first common problem is a situation where a deed is granted to a trust and not to the trustee. The root of this problem seems to be the misconception that a trust is an entity that can be deeded to. A trust has no independent existence. It is simply a fiduciary relationship between people. There is a trustee or trustees, a trust maker (the ...

What is a trust in estate planning?

Setting up a trust has been a popular estate planning tool, especially if you want to leave properties and assets to your loved ones without the hassle of undergoing the probate process. In a trust, the creator or trustor transfers his property under the care of a trustee, who can be a trust lawyer, in favor of the beneficiary.

Can a lawyer be a trustee?

As mentioned above, you can even name a lawyer as the trustee, which can be helpful in cases where the estate is large and complex. However, the role of trust lawyer is not only confined with the creation and administration of the trust.

What is the job of a trust attorney?

The trust attorney’s tasks also include drafting documents intended for the protection of the assets against lawsuits and taxes. The first thing that a trust lawyer must do at the start of the engagement is to make a plan based on the needs of the client.

What is a trust plan?

The plan is based on the economic and financial circumstances of the client as assessed by the trust lawyer her or himself. The trust lawyer must also evaluate whether the client is married or not, the number of children, as well as incapacity issues that may be relevant as to the terms and conditions of the trust.

Can a lawyer represent a married couple in estate planning?

There is an inherent conflict of interest in representing both halves of a marital community. We might, for example, counsel a couple about the tax value of turning their separate property into community property in Arizona. But that means that the sole owner of the separate property will have to give away an interest in their property.

Can conflicts arise later?

Of course, conflicts sometimes appear after a lawyer begins (or even ends) joint representation. That might be the case, for example, when one spouse has an extramarital affair, and the lawyer learns about it.

Motion to disqualify

The agent/daughter objected to Mr. Gerstein’s acting as trustee, and also to his law firm representing him in the court proceedings. The New York judge assigned to the case agreed, at least as to the representation by Mr. Gerstein’s firm.

What do we (at Fleming & Curti, PLC) do about this problem?

When we represent married couples — or unmarried couples who want to be counseled as a unit — we always explain the conflict of interest problem. We require clients to sign a waiver of any conflict, and urge them to ask questions if they don’t understand the significance.