When the time comes to settle an estate, we act as the central coordinator. We work hand-in-hand with other professional advisors including attorneys and accountants to ensure a cohesive strategy, safeguarding your legacy with care and integrity.
By keeping detailed records and maintaining open lines of communication with your heirs and beneficiaries, we ensure that assets are distributed efficiently and exactly according to your wishes, minimizing stress and potential conflict among family members.
Securing & Protecting Your Assets
We take immediate steps to ensure nothing falls through the cracks and that your assets are protected. We locate, collect, and secure all documents, records, and physical assets and ensure that all real estate is secure and properly insured immediately, preventing any lapse in coverage. We also identify outstanding debts to ensure the estate is not surprised by creditors later.
We don’t just “hold” the assets, we ensure that their value is preserved and that they are properly invested during the settlement period. We work with financial advisors to create an investment plan that balances growth with safety, ensuring cash is available for taxes and distributions when needed.
During the estate settlement process we also handle the day-to-day bills including mortgages, property taxes, and insurance so that your assets aren’t put at risk by missed payments.
Comprehensive Tax Management
Tax mistakes can be costly. We work directly with legal and tax counsel to ensure full compliance of the estate. We oversee the preparation and filing of all necessary returns including final personal income tax, trust income tax, and estate/gift tax returns to close out liabilities with the IRS.
Transparent & Responsive Communication
We believe that open lines of communication help prevent uncertainty and unnecessary anxiety for your family during the estate settlement process. Our priority is to keep all beneficiaries informed with regular updates and our commitment is to respond to all inquiries promptly.
We act as a neutral party, adhering strictly to the trust documents and California law to ensure fair treatment for all beneficiaries. Once all creditor claims have been satisfied and any tax issues resolved, our goal is to distribute assets to your beneficiaries as soon as it is reasonable and legally prudent to do so.