Estate Settlement

Unfortunately, when a loved one passes, a practical burden immediately arises. In the midst of personal loss, someone will become responsible for securing the assets and closing out the financial affairs of the deceased. This process is often referred to as “settling the estate” or “estate settlement”.

If there were no estate documents, or just a will, someone will become the point of contact and representative of the estate as the assets and financial affairs of the deceased are processed through the court’s probate process.

Although the expense and inefficiencies of the court probate process can be avoided if the estate was held and managed in trust, the obligation remains the same. Someone will be responsible for settling the estate of the deceased before the assets are disbursed to the heirs.

Estate settlement is a responsibility most have never previously undertaken. Needless to say, this can be an emotional and confusing process for many, especially for family members who are simultaneously presented with the reality of life without their loved one.

Grief will be experienced by all, but how that grief plays out in the context of the family wealth will often not be known or experienced until that time comes. Unfortunately, as has been experienced by far too many, placing a family member in the midst of the family wealth and tasking them with the responsibility of settling the estate can have disastrous and deep-rooted relational consequences amongst those who, prior to the passing of their relative, enjoyed each other as “family”.

Should a family desire an impartial third-party professional be appointed so as to avoid the potential relational consequences which can arise when tasking a family member or friend with the responsibility of estate settlement, Trustee Services Group would be privileged to serve and help.

When settling an estate, our desire at Trustee Services Group is threefold . . .

1) Help families avoid the relational strife which can arise when settling an estate;

2) Efficiently close out the financial affairs of the deceased so the assets can again be enjoyed by the heirs and estate beneficiaries; and

3) Provide the appropriate communication and record keeping to all concerned so that the family can instead address their grief and adjust to this next chapter in their lives.

Should you desire to appoint a friend or family to assist with their estate settlement, we can also help. As more fully addressed on our “Consultation” page, Trustee Services Group can serve the family member or friend in two important ways.

Should a family desire an impartial third-party professional be appointed so as to avoid the potential relational consequences which can arise when tasking a family member or friend with the responsibility of estate settlement, Trustee Services Group would be privileged to serve and help.

To appoint Trustee Services Group to serve as the successor trustee (trust), personal representative / executor (will) and agent (power of attorney for financial affairs) for your estate, we simply ask two important things:

• Complete and return our Client Estate Fact Finder.This helps us to know and contact those most important to you when “called into action”;

• Provide us with a copy of your estate documents. This allows us to see whether the instructions set forth in your estate documents are clear and understandable. The easiest way to do so is to simply request your attorney to forward a digital copy of your estate documents to us.

Contact us today if we can be of assistance.