Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

Hi,

I'm hoping this question could be answered. I gained trusteeship when my mom passed Dec 1. 2009.

My mom and dad had divorced the last 10 + years but my dad was taking my mom to court for money he felt she took during the divorce process. I went to my mom�s lawyer after she passed thinking he would know what best to do. That was the wrong idea. He has since sent me a Court Order: Creditor's Claim for $15,000.00 with no detailed Dates. What was done on the matter? Amount of time spent on that day i.e.: 1.2 hours. Hourly rate. Cost of that transaction.

I'm at a loss, trying to deal with the mom passing, bills and now her outstanding lawyer�s fees are very stressful. I'm hoping someone would be kind to give me advice.

I am the oldest of 5 kids (35)

Respectfully,

Baljit


Asked on 3/23/10, 7:40 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Aaron Feldman Feldman Law Group

I am very sorry about your Mom's passing. The good news is that she had a trust and so you can avoid Probate. Unfortunately, there are the headaches associated with being the trustee and you have fiduciary duties to all of the beneficiaries and to the trust itself to administer the trust. This includes dealing with various claims, bills, etc... What you really need is professional assistance to properly administer the Trust, which should include working with an attorney and an accountant. Please feel free to call me if you would like to discuss your situation more specifically.

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Answered on 3/29/10, 8:28 am


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