Rancho Mirage Trust Administration Attorney

Retirement homes and long-time residents

Many Rancho Mirage residents retired here and stayed. Their trusts tend to be well organized, but they're also often older. Amendments, restatements, and changes after a spouse's death all need to be read together to know who gets what.

Blended families

Second marriages are common here. A trust might provide for a surviving spouse for life, then pass to children from a first marriage. That setup needs careful handling. The trustee has to balance the spouse's needs today with the children's interest later, and keep good records for both.

The first steps

Secure the home, gather every version of the trust and the statements, send the trustee notice, record an affidavit of death, and file the change in ownership statement with the assessor within 150 days after the death.

For the full step-by-step list, see my trust administration overview.

How I work with trustees

I'm in Palm Desert, right next door, and I also meet by Zoom. Most of the work is handled for a flat fee, quoted up front before you hire me. If something out of the ordinary comes up, like a dispute or a court petition, we'll talk about it before any extra work starts.

Common questions

The trust was amended several times. Which version controls?

Usually the latest valid amendment, read together with the earlier documents. I'll go through them with you so the distribution is right.

Does the surviving spouse's trust need to be split?

Some married couples' trusts divide into separate shares when the first spouse dies. Whether yours does depends on the trust language. I'll review it.