San Diego Estate Planning Lawyer Blog

In addition to handling probate, trust administration, and preparation of all types of trusts, we often get inquiries from heirs and beneficiaries with concerns about the way an executor, administrator, or trustee is administering an estate in San Diego. Sometimes beneficiaries cannot get an accounting of the trust assets. Sometimes they have issues with the distribution of assets. In some cases, they may have suspicions that the individual handling the estate is self-dealing or guilty of outright fraud.

The executor, administrator or trustee of an estate has a fiduciary duty to the beneficiaries. This means that they must act with the highest degree of honesty and integrity. They have certain duties under the law that they must fulfill. Among those duties are the duty to collect and protect the assets; duty not to commingle estate assets; and a duty to be impartial. They also are required to communicate with the beneficiaries, provide an accounting of the assets, and distribute the assets according to the testamentary instrument (will or trust) or if there is none, according to the Probate Code.

Pinkerton, Doppelt, Associates, LLP represents heirs and beneficiaries as well as executors, administrators, and trustees. If you can concerned about the way an estate is being handled, you have options and remedies. One remedy could be filing a petition in the Probate Court to have the Court address the issue, order an accounting, or remove an executor, trustee, or beneficiary. There are also civil remedies for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, or constructive trust. If you are over 65 years if age, you may have a action for elder abuse.

Contact us for advice about your options if you are a beneficiary and have concerns about the way a will or trust is being administered or if you are an heir and believe you are entitled to an inheritance.

In trust administration and probate in San Diego County, appraisals of the decedent's real property are an important part of settling an estate. At Pinkerton, Doppelt, & Associates, LLP, one of the first tasks is to obtain an appraisal of real property as of the date of death. The appraisal, in addition to valuations of the rest of the decedent's estate, form the basis for determining the total value of the estate for purposes of distribution to beneficiaries.

Recently, a bipartisan amendment approved in October by the House Financial Services Committee proposes a new set of rules for obtaining appraisals. The old rules imposed nationwide by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to realtors and mortgage brokers, produced appraisals often below the agreed-upon price, causing delays and disputes and the necessity for multiple appraisals. The new rules are more likely to encourage independent appraisals, not influenced by loan officers and mortgage brokers. The new amendment has the endorsement of President Obama and the House of Representatives but may face an uphill battle in the Senate.

Appraisals are just one part of trust administration and probate. We use independent appraisers for real property and can help with appraisals of valuable personal property as well. There are numerous tasks that must be done by a successor trustee of a trust or an executor or administrator of a probate estate. Our estate planning lawyers at Pinkerton, Doppelt, & Associates, LLP can assist you with all aspects of trust administration or probate. Please call or email with questions or to set a complimentary consultation.

Depending on who you talk to about the economy, “things are going to get worse before they get better” or “things are looking up.” There is no question though that the real estate market is down in San Diego. The stock market is also not what it was several years ago. How does this affect a Successor Trustee who is trying to administer an estate and make distributions to beneficiaries?

A Trustee of course has a duty to safeguard the trust assets, invest and manage the assets in some cases, and distribute the assets to the beneficiaries according to the terms of the trust. The beneficiaries naturally want to receive as much as possible and sometimes do not want to wait for the market to turn around. You may find yourself as a Trustee having to decide whether to convert some assets into cash to put into a money market account or CD. You may have no choice but to sell real property even though home sales are down. It is a difficult decision to make as to whether to wait out the problems in the market and it is just one of the many decisions you may have to make as a Trustee.

One thing that makes it easier is if all the Beneficiaries are on the same page as to what should be done. As a Trustee, try to keep all the beneficiaries informed. If the property is on the market, keep them apprised of the sales price, comparable sales in the area, and all offers. Consult with financial advisors, realtors, or others in the know to get their opinions. An experienced estate planning firm such as Pinkerton, Doppelt, & Associates, LLP can help you administer a trust in a way that will limit your liability as a Trustee and make your responsibilities and duties a bit easier. Contact us for a complimentary consultation.

Sometimes we get calls within a day or two of a loved one’s passing away by family members who wonder what they should do. The first thing that should be done is to handle the bereavement process. Spend time with family and friends and begin the grieving process before anything else.

There are many resources on line and in San Diego for information on the grieving process.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is the largest nonprofit organization representing hospice and palliative care programs. In San Diego we have the Elizabeth Hospice, San Diego Hospice, and Hospice by the Sea to name just a few. For people dealing with the death of a child there is the Empty Cradle and the Jenna Druck Foundation.

Coping with the loss of a loved one is a process. In addition to the grief and bereavement resources listed here, there are many grief support groups at local churches or through professional counselors. Most support groups also can recommend books and articles on the subject.

We always tell our clients and potential clients that the first thing to do is to begin the healing process. In most cases, contacting us in several weeks will be fine to determine what needs to be done as far as estate and trust issues are concerned. Sometimes there are immediate issues that have to be addressed and the experienced estate planning attorneys at Pinkerton, Doppelt, & Associates, LLP would be happy to assist with those if necessary. Feel free to contact us by phone or email if you have questions.

Some people need extra time to file a personal tax return or an estate tax return. On your personal income taxes, you can apply for an automatic extension to file but it doesn't extend the time to pay. You will have to pay a .5% per month penalty for late payment.

With the payment of estate taxes, you can also apply to receive a 6 month extension. The extension provided for in IRS Form 4768 is automatic. You will automatically receive an extension to file for 6 months however be aware that an extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay the taxes. An extension of time to pay is discretionary.

One executor and trustee of an estate found this out the hard way. In a court case entitled Baccei v. United States, a trustee of a revocable living trust hired an accountant to prepare the Federal estate tax return. The accountant filed Form 4768 requesting a 6 month extension of time to file the return. Part of the form contains a section for an explanation as to why the estate needs more time to pay the tax and the number of months requested, up to 12 months. The accountant did not fill out that part of the form. Within 6 months, the accountant filed the return and paid the estate tax. The IRS then assessed a late penalty on the estate tax paid which had been approximately $1 ½ million. The Trustee appealed.

The Court which heard the matter held that the estate had not requested an extension to pay, only to file, and therefore the late penalty was proper. The two extensions found in Form 4768 are separate extensions and have to be separately requested.

Filing and paying tax returns for an estate is one of the jobs of the executor of a will or the trustee of a trust. If you are the executor of an estate or the trustee of a trust, these are part of your fiduciary duties. Our office handles numerous probates and trust administrations in which we assist executors or trustees with these types of duties. If we can be of assistance, please contact us.

Many people in San Diego are in the position of choosing a successor trustee for their living trust or they may be beneficiaries of a trust and wonder if the trustee is managing or distributing their inheritances properly. Generally the trustee must administer the trust according to the terms of the trust and the California Probate Code. Here are some of the duties of a trustee of an irrevocable trust in California.

Duty of Loyalty. The trustee must administer the trust in the best interest of the beneficiaries, not using the power to the detriment of any beneficiary.

Duty of Impartiality. Similarly, the trustee must treat all beneficiaries the same, not favor one over another or if the trustee is also a beneficiary, giving himself or herself favor.

Duty to Avoid Conflicts of Interest. The trustee must avoid situations where the trust's interests and the trustee's interests conflict. These situations may arise when a beneficiary owns property in which the trust also has an interest or when a trustee wants to purchase a trust asset.

Duty to Control and Preserve Trust Property and Make the Trust Assets Productive. The trustee has an obligation to identify the trust assets and preserve them so they are not dissipated or lost. A trustee also has a duty to make sure the assets are invested wisely.

Duty to Report and Account to Beneficiaries. The Trustee must keep the beneficiaries informed about the trust administration. The trustee must also prepare statements regarding the assets and financial transactions of the trust to the beneficiaries upon request and at least annually if not requested.

These are just some of the duties of a trustee in California. For more general information, read our article on trust administration. If you need information about your specific situation, contact us at Pinkerton, Doppelt, & Associates, LLP for a complimentary consultation. We handle trust administration, representing trustees and beneficiaries throughout San Diego County.

Living trusts save beneficiaries thousands of dollars in probate fees, however, upon the death of the Trustor, there are still steps that need to be taken by the Successor Trustee. These steps are called trust administration and often require some assistance from an experienced attorney. If these actions are not taken or done incorrectly, the Successor Trustee may be held liable to the beneficiaries.

The California Probate Code requires notification by the Successor Trustee to the beneficiaries and heirs of the person who has died. A copy of the will must be filed with the County Clerk. Notices should be sent to the Dept. of Health Services to determine if the person received Medi-Cal benefits as there may be a lien against the estate for reimbursement of those benefits. A similar notice of death should be sent to the Social Security Admiistration, Veterans Administration (if applicable) and the credit bureaus. Creditors may need to be dealt with. The issue of estate taxes needs to be considered.

Trust assets need to be inventoried and valued as of the date of death and decisions made as to how the assets will be distributed to the beneficiaries. Will assets be liquidated to provide cash to the beneficiaries or will the assets themselves be divided up in a manner which fulfills the trust's provisions?

Trust assets consisting of real property need to have the title changed so they can be distributed according to the terms of rhe trust. A Notice of Affidavit of Death needs to be prepared along with new deeds recorded with the County Recorder. If the transfer is from parent to child, a claim for exemption from property tax reassessment should be filed with the County Assessor's office.

As a final step, the administration should be completed with a final accounting of the estate or a waiver of such accounting by the beneficiaries.

These are just some of the steps which are necessary in a trust administration. If you are a Successor Truste and need assistance with trust administration, contact us at Pinkerton, Doppelt & Associates LLP. Your first consultation is always complimentary.

Earlier this month we posted a blog about identity theft during the hollidays. Malls in North County, South Bay, Carlsbad, and Mission Valley are targets for pick pockets and thieves who look to steal purses. But did you know that even deceased persons can be victims of identity theft? The deceased are easy targets because sometimes it takes weeks or months and in some cases years for financial institutions to find out about a death. The identity of a deceased person can be stolen in a variety of ways. Some identity thieves watch the obituaries, look up death certificates, or obtain private information from health care providers, unknowing relatives, or internet genealogy web sites.

Back in 2006 in Kentucky a financial planner used the confidential data of 160 deceased persons to acquire 700 credit cards from financial institutions and scammed nearly $2 million over a three year period

Although the deceased person doesn’t have to be concerned with his or her credit rating, identity theft can cause emotional distress for the family. Identity Theft Resource Center has valuable information about how to protect yourself and your deceased loved one from identity theft. They also have an information sheet with steps to take to decrease the risk of identity theft such as notifying the credit bureaus to put a “deceased” notation in their file, obtaining a copy of the decedent’s credit report, and a list of agencies and companies to notify of the death. Sample letters can be found at the California Office of Privacy Protection.

You can also stop the junk mail by contacting the Direct Marketing Assn. There you can register to take the deceased’s name off mailing lists with their Deceased Do Not Contact List.

If your loved one had a will which needs to be probated or a trust which needs to be administered after death, Pinkerton, Doppelt, & Associates, LLP handles many of the above steps as part of their representation. Contact us if we can help with trust administration or probate.

There are many different types of trusts which San Diego couples may create as the cornerstone of their estate plan. Prior to 2000 when the exemption for estate taxes was $650,000 many couples had A/B trusts prepared. These were also called Bypass Trusts, Marital Trusts, or Exemption Trusts. These types of trusts call for the initial trust to split into two or more trusts after the death of the first spouse in order to reduce or eliminate the federal estate tax. Today many couples still have this type of trust. Couples with children from prior relationships also may have this type of trust which requires a split or division in trust assets after the first death.

Couples may also have a disclaimer trust which requires the surviving spouse to disclaim assets within nine months of death in order to take advantage of the federal estate tax exemption for couples. There are also so-called option trusts which place a duty on the surviving spouse to value the estate after the first death and only split the trust into sub trusts if necessary to take advantage of the federal estate tax exemption. All of these types of trusts require that after the first death, some steps be taken to comply with California law, preserve the federal estate tax exemption, and change title to assets. This is called trust administration.

If the trust is one which requires a division into two or more sub trusts, the assets in the estate need to be valued as of the date of the first death, then the assets allocated between two or more trusts, and new deeds prepared for real property. If the original trust is not divided at all after the first death or the assets allocated improperly, tax benefits can be lost. Also there may be financial losses to the children of the couple or other beneficiaries. Sometimes in the aftermath of a spouse passing away, these details may understandably be overlooked.

If you need help figuring out what to do after your spouse dies, we can help. The experienced estate planning lawyers at Pinkerton, Doppelt, & Associates, LLP can review your trust and do whatever trust administration your trust requires. Our initial consultation is complimentary.

Even when a person dies with a will or a trust, there can be disputes that result in a will contest or trust litigation. An individual may feel he or she should have been a beneficiary under a will or a trust. Sometimes a will has been changed and beneficiaries under the original will feel there has some impropriety surrounding the execution of the subsequent will. Sometimes beneficiaries may be dissatisfied with the accounting of the assets in the estate. When these types of issues occur, it may become necessary to seek the assistance of the court to resolve these issues. Common grounds for contesting a will are such things as claims of undue influence, lack of mental capacity, fraud, or an invalid codicil (amendment).

With a trust, individuals who are beneficiaries or think they should be a beneficiary may dispute the trust. Issues can arise such as the validity of the trust or amendments, the administration of the trust, or conduct of the trustee. Sometimes trustees have to be removed for misconduct or impropriety or it may be the case that beneficiaries have to initiate litigation to receive a fair distribution.

Handling a will or trust litigation matter requires special experience. If you have concerns about a will or a trust or believe you should have inherited from one, the experienced estate planning lawyers at Pinkerton, Doppelt, & Associates can assist you. Call or e mail us for a complimentary, confidential in-house consultation.

An elderly doctor and his daughter opened a joint bank account, the money in which would go to the surviving account holder if the other one died. This is a case of the right of survivorship and should have been part of a revocable living trust and then would proceed by trust administration. Nine years later, when the doctor was in declining health, his wife asked to be added to the account so that she could pay bills. Based on the signatures of the doctor and his wife, but not the daughter, the bank added the wife to the account. Over a one-month period, the wife then wrote many checks on the account, totaling over $100,000. The biggest check, for $75,000, was written, cashed, and deposited to the wife's own account on the very day her husband died.

The daughter sued the bank, claiming it was liable to her for recognizing a new party to the joint account without the consent of all parties to the account. A state supreme court sided with the bank. First, the documents that comprised the contract between the bank and the account holders included a statement that each owner was the agent of any other owners for purposes of endorsements, deposits, withdrawals, and conducting business for the account. This language was broad enough to give the doctor power to add his wife as a new party to the account without his daughter's knowledge or consent. Second, a statute on joint accounts similarly made each party to an account the agent for other account holders, although the statute was silent on the method for adding a new party to an account. The bank had not breached its contract when it recognized the doctor's wife as a new party to the account based solely on the doctor's signature.

This decision highlights the pitfalls that can accompany joint bank accounts. Allowing each party to a joint account to exercise full authority over the account is flexible and convenient, but the cost of these advantages is loss of control. The exposure to this risk is widespread, as joint account contracts typically have language like that used in this case.

Alternative methods for managing money make it more difficult for any individual to raid accounts to the detriment of co-owners. These include advanced health care powers of attorney, revocable living trusts, and "agency" or "convenience" accounts that resemble general powers of attorney but are confined to specific bank accounts. Seek the advice of legal counsel before deciding which of these options is most appropriate in a specific situation.