PROBATE & TRUST ADMINISTRATION
While I have acquired a great deal of expertise and experience in probate and estate administration matters over the past 26 years, my law practice is now focused intentionally on estate planning (during lifetime). In order to provide a premium experience to my estate planning clients, I choose to limit the estate administration side of my practice by offering a high-value, but limited "light-touch" engagement to the named fiduciary after the death of a past client of mine, and nothing more.
My philosophy for estate administration is to counsel the named individual fiduciary (the trustee or personal representative) to do as much as possible on his or her own without formally retaining me. In my experience, bringing a lawyer into the administration process—no matter the reason—often adds tension and can strain family relationships. Whenever possible, I encourage the named fiduciary to handle the practical steps directly, with only light guidance from me.
If you desire a formal, hands-on approach to estate administration led by an estate lawyer—or if you prefer to move more quickly than my schedule allows—I suggest you connect with the team at Bogutz & Gordon. They do excellent legal work and are a good fit for families who want a more comprehensive level of law office involvement.
But for complex matters or when the relationship among surviving beneficiaries is adversarial, I sincerely believe the situation calls for the use of a professional fiduciary (not a lawyer). The named individual fiduciary and the beneficiaries might still choose to obtain separate representation by retaining an estate lawyer with litigation experience to protect their own interests, but the actual administration of the estate or trust is best handled by a professional fiduciary.
In some cases, the deceased person's bank or investment company may be able to serve in the fiduciary role. However, I prefer to recommend an independent professional fiduciary such as:
The named personal representative or trustee may serve jointly with the professional fiduciary (by naming the fiduciary as an agent, directed trustee, or co-trustee) or simply delegate the entire responsibility to the professional fiduciary, which is the traditional arrangement. My observation is that professional fiduciaries perform admirably.
Having said all that, if you are responsible for administering an estate or trust of a deceased person who was a past client of mine, then you are still welcome to request a "light-touch" review to determine what needs attention and what can wait. You may be pleasantly surprised how much you can do on your own, especially when the estate plan was established with care.
During this meeting I can do the following:
The initial consultation fee is $450 regardless of the duration of the meeting.
My usual and customary fee for any additional meetings or legal document drafting after the initial meeting is $450/hour.
Please note that I do not specialize in estate litigation, nor would I represent you in a personal sense. If you are concerned about protecting your own personal interests during a probate or trust administration, you should reach out to a law firm with lawyers who focus on litigation. I can give you a referral upon request.
Read articles about estate administration:
Articles Library
Download my books about estate administration:
Free PDF Books
To request a meeting after the death of a loved one:
Send an email to [email protected] or text message to 520.546.3558. Please share the name of the deceased, your relationship to them, and a brief description of the issues you’d like to discuss. I will review your information and then, if needed, send you a private link to a scheduling app.
My philosophy for estate administration is to counsel the named individual fiduciary (the trustee or personal representative) to do as much as possible on his or her own without formally retaining me. In my experience, bringing a lawyer into the administration process—no matter the reason—often adds tension and can strain family relationships. Whenever possible, I encourage the named fiduciary to handle the practical steps directly, with only light guidance from me.
If you desire a formal, hands-on approach to estate administration led by an estate lawyer—or if you prefer to move more quickly than my schedule allows—I suggest you connect with the team at Bogutz & Gordon. They do excellent legal work and are a good fit for families who want a more comprehensive level of law office involvement.
But for complex matters or when the relationship among surviving beneficiaries is adversarial, I sincerely believe the situation calls for the use of a professional fiduciary (not a lawyer). The named individual fiduciary and the beneficiaries might still choose to obtain separate representation by retaining an estate lawyer with litigation experience to protect their own interests, but the actual administration of the estate or trust is best handled by a professional fiduciary.
In some cases, the deceased person's bank or investment company may be able to serve in the fiduciary role. However, I prefer to recommend an independent professional fiduciary such as:
- Mission Management & Trust Company
- TrustBank of Arizona
- Zia Trust
- Arizona Fiduciary Services
- Affordable Paralegal Solutions
The named personal representative or trustee may serve jointly with the professional fiduciary (by naming the fiduciary as an agent, directed trustee, or co-trustee) or simply delegate the entire responsibility to the professional fiduciary, which is the traditional arrangement. My observation is that professional fiduciaries perform admirably.
Having said all that, if you are responsible for administering an estate or trust of a deceased person who was a past client of mine, then you are still welcome to request a "light-touch" review to determine what needs attention and what can wait. You may be pleasantly surprised how much you can do on your own, especially when the estate plan was established with care.
During this meeting I can do the following:
- Evaluate whether a probate is needed. If yes, I can help direct you to the starting point.
- Determine whether a paralegal, full-service law firm, or professional fiduciary may be helpful.
- Interpret the lawyer language so you can understand what needs to be done.
The initial consultation fee is $450 regardless of the duration of the meeting.
My usual and customary fee for any additional meetings or legal document drafting after the initial meeting is $450/hour.
Please note that I do not specialize in estate litigation, nor would I represent you in a personal sense. If you are concerned about protecting your own personal interests during a probate or trust administration, you should reach out to a law firm with lawyers who focus on litigation. I can give you a referral upon request.
Read articles about estate administration:
Articles Library
Download my books about estate administration:
Free PDF Books
To request a meeting after the death of a loved one:
Send an email to [email protected] or text message to 520.546.3558. Please share the name of the deceased, your relationship to them, and a brief description of the issues you’d like to discuss. I will review your information and then, if needed, send you a private link to a scheduling app.