Hey, You're the Successor Trustee Now
Hey, You're the Successor Trustee Now is the calm, practical companion no one wants to need-and everyone in California eventually does.
Someone you loved named you successor trustee. Now they're gone, the trust is irrevocable, and you're staring at a stack of papers, bills, family questions, and a 60-day legal deadline. You don't have to be a lawyer. You just need a clear path.
This friendly California guide walks you through the real work of administering a revocable living trust after death-without the jargon or the panic.
Inside you'll find:
- A first-year master timeline so you know what happens in weeks 1-2, the critical 60-day notice window, months 3-6 (taxes and property), and the finish line
- The "Don't Panic" 14-day checklist: death certificates, locating the trust and any Personal Property Memorandum, securing assets, Acceptance of Trusteeship, Certification of Trust, EIN, and the new trust bank account
- How to send the required Probate Code §16061.7 notice the right way (certified mail, what it must say, who must receive it, and why email alone usually isn't enough)
- Inventorying and marshalling assets-including assets that never made it into the trust (Small Estate Affidavit, Heggstad petition, or probate)
- Paying debts and expenses without mixing funds or using a Power of Attorney that already ended at death
- Taxes in plain English: final 1040/540, trust 1041/541, the $15 million federal exemption, full community-property step-up, and Prop 19 reassessment
- Record-keeping and accountings that protect you
- Talking with beneficiaries without starting a war
- Managing or selling real estate and investments under the Prudent Investor Rule
- Extra chapters for minors (HEMS standard, age gates, conditions) and special-needs sub-trusts (SSI, Medi-Cal, never handing cash)
- How to distribute, close the trust, and-if the role is simply too much-step down gracefully with sample resignation and acceptance letters
Every chapter ends with a printable checklist. The bonus section gathers the templates: expense tracker, asset inventory, sample 60-day notice, Notice to Creditors, status-update letter, Acceptance of Trusteeship, and a short glossary.
Written by a California Living Trust Advisor who has sat at kitchen tables with families just like yours, the book answers the questions people actually ask: "Can I Venmo everyone right away?" "Do I have to be perfect or I'll get sued?" "What if a beneficiary is furious?" "Can I just pay the credit cards and be done?"
This is not legal advice. It is a warm, step-by-step map so you can grieve, stay organized, protect yourself, and carry out the wishes of the person who trusted you.
Open it to the chapter you need today. Take the next small step. You're not alone.