If you’re a beneficiary of a trust, chances are you have many questions about what comes next. For example, how do you receive the benefits of the trust and avoid being taxed on them? Do you need to get involved in the administration process? And how can you make sure that everything is done correctly? This guide will answer those questions and more so that you know exactly what your next steps should be as a beneficiary or potential beneficiary of a trust.
What is a trust?
Trusts are a legal entity that you set up to hold property for the benefit of another person. Trusts may be created in many different ways, including by will or trust agreement. Whatever the method of creation, all trusts share two important characteristics:
- They can be created in one of two forms: revocable or irrevocable. A revocable trust gives you, as trustee, the ability to change or revoke it at any time during your lifetime. Irrevocable trusts cannot be changed once they have been established; once created, only their terms can be amended through court proceedings after your death.
- They are often used in estate planning and management situations because they provide flexible tools for distributing assets over time and according to specific guidelines set out by individuals during their lifetime rather than simply upon death when all assets become subject to probate laws
Who is involved in the trust administration law process?
- Trustees
Trustees are the people who oversee a trust and make decisions about how to manage the assets. Sometimes, trustees are also beneficiaries of their own trusts. In this case, they act as both trustee and beneficiary at different times. Other times when there are more than one trustee or beneficiary they serve in separate roles.
- Beneficiaries
Beneficiaries receive income from the trust for their benefit but can’t take possession of any property held in it until all debts have been paid off and taxes paid on those assets (if applicable). Beneficiaries may not sue over any matters related to their inheritance unless they’ve been given express permission by both trustees and remaining beneficiaries.
When you hire an attorney to help with administration issues, they’ll work with your estate planning attorney so that everyone involved is aware of what’s happening with your affairs during this process.
How does the trust administration law process work?
You may have heard of a trust administration law, but you might not know what they do. Trust administration lawyers help with legal matters that arise within the process of administering a trust. This can include:
- Dealing with disputes between beneficiaries and other parties involved in the trust
- Settling disagreements among beneficiaries over how to administer the trust
- Protecting your interests when dealing with financial institutions and other third parties who want access to information contained within your account records
In short, then, a trust administration lawyer can help you navigate any situation related to administering a trust.
Why should you hire a trust administration lawyer?
Trust administration lawyers can help you with the legal aspects of trust administration. They can help you determine whether a trust is valid and what rights beneficiaries have to it. Trust administration lawyers will also be able to assist with any questions you may have about how to interpret terms in the trust agreement or what actions need to be taken when there are conflicting directives in a will or another document.
Trust administration lawyers can also help with the financial aspects of trust administration, such as calculating taxes owed on assets held in an irrevocable living trust and determining whether funds should be withdrawn from an annuity policy for distributions to beneficiaries who are listed as contingent beneficiaries. Trust administration lawyers can provide advice on managing investments, including setting investment goals and deciding which accounts should be used for savings purposes versus those that require more careful monitoring due to risk factors associated with different types of investments such as stocks vs bonds vs mutual funds.
Trust administration attorneys also provide valuable assistance when it comes time for taxes because they understand all aspects of federal regulation related specifically.