Fullerton, CA asked in Estate Planning for California

Q: Can a revocable trust be changed three times?

My husband and I are trustees of a revocable trust. The owner of the trust has changed it three times, has had one trustee in 2003, had a falling out with that one, got another one in 2010 had a falling out with that one and now has my husband and I since 2017. Each time she gets a new trust at a new law firm. Does she have to tell the other prior trustees her trust has been changed to reflect new trustees

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1 Lawyer Answer
James Edward Berge
James Edward Berge
Answered
  • Estate Planning Lawyer
  • San Jose, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: If she makes a change to a trust and expects it to have a binding effect on the trustee, she must inform the trustee of the change and the trustee needs to sign off on the change.

If she makes a change to a trust which changes the trustee, no notice is required to make the change, but once the change has been made notice will need to be given to the trustee so that the previous trustee can transfer all trust assets to the new trustee, assuming the trust is funded.

Gerald Barry Dorfman and Nina Whitehurst agree with this answer

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