Simi Valley, CA asked in Estate Planning and Probate for California

Q: How to move past trust administration delays?

My parents passed away just over a year ago in August 2020. My sister is the trustee and I am just a beneficiary. She hired an attorney and we are near the last stage of closing the trust. The law firm is in the process of putting together the accounting and keep telling my sister that they'll have something for her to review "this week." They have been telling her that for the last 4 weeks. The majority of the time they don't even reply to her email inquiries. The law firm has been delaying the closing of the trust for what has now been months. The delay is not the fault of my sister the trustee, it's the law firm. Is there anything that I do to move the process along?

Related Topics:
1 Lawyer Answer

A: Your sister needs to tell the law firm exactly what you said here, i.e., that they are the cause of the delay and she needs the document by the end of the day tomorrow. Other than that, your sister can just show up at the law firm and take a chance that they're open (due to COVID many people are working remotely, as you likely know.) If they still do not do that, threaten to report them to the Bar Association. That should get them moving! Best wishes.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.