Q: As a legally heir in a WA St trust do I have the right to request the trustee be transparent with the monetary amounts?
I'm named as a legal heir in a trust in WA State. The trustee of this trust is only giving a dollar amount in the bank account attached to or named in the trust. At this point I have no way of really knowing if the monetary amount I'm being told is accurate. Under WA State trust law as a legally named trust heir do I have the legal right to more transparency and to request to see the actual bank account statement showing what monetary amount is in the trust bank account? My main concern is if the trustee isn't willing to be more transparent with the trust's assets the trustee possibly is hiding something or not being honest about the actual assets in the trust bank account. I’ll probably need an attorney so this is my first step in determining if I have any legal rights to more transparency. Thank you
A:
I'm so sorry you're going through this.
Yes, as a beneficiary of the trust, you have the right to request more transparency under Washington law. Trustees have a legal duty to keep beneficiaries informed about the trust’s assets, which includes providing an accounting if requested.
In Washington, RCW 11.98.072 and RCW 11.106.020 say that a trustee must give beneficiaries information about the trust, including a breakdown of assets, income, and expenses. So if the trustee is just giving you a dollar amount without any proof, you can formally request a more detailed accounting—including bank statements—to verify what’s actually in the trust account.
If the trustee refuses or is being evasive, that’s a red flag. They’re required to act in the best interests of the beneficiaries, and withholding financial details could suggest mismanagement.
Your next step would be to send a written request for a full trust accounting. I recommend you send a certified, return receipt letter or some similar way of writing that will guarantee you receive a receipt showing the the Trustee received your letter (Fedex or UPS may also offer this type of service - USPS is the traditional way of sending this type of letter to get a receipt, but in my recent experience, they took weeks).
If the Trustee still won’t comply, you may need to consult a trust litigation attorney to push for more transparency—or even take legal action if something shady is going on.
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