Trust Administration in Hidden Hills

Serving as successor trustee of a Hidden Hills estate is a significant undertaking. These are complex estates with multiple properties, business interests, entertainment industry assets, intellectual property, investment portfolios, and beneficiaries who have resources to pursue disputes if they feel the administration is going wrong. The stakes of getting it wrong are high. Personal liability for a trustee who missteps in a Hidden Hills estate can be financially devastating.

I am an estate planning attorney serving Hidden Hills and the surrounding area. I do this work over Zoom or phone and sign in person. Hidden Hills is in Los Angeles County, and trust disputes go to the LA County Superior Court. I keep trustees out of that courthouse. For the planning side, see the Hidden Hills estate planning page.

The 60-day notice that cannot be missed

California Probate Code section 16061.7 requires notice to every beneficiary and statutory heir within 60 days of the settlor’s death. In Hidden Hills estates with complex family situations, prior marriages, children from different relationships, and beneficiaries in different states, identifying every required notice recipient correctly matters. The notice starts a 120-day contest window. If it is not sent, the window never closes, which means a beneficiary can challenge the trust years after distribution is complete. I make sure the notice is prepared correctly and sent to everyone who is required to receive it.

Managing entertainment and business assets during administration

A Hidden Hills estate may include an interest in a production company, royalty rights from intellectual property, an ownership stake in a professional sports team, or other assets that require active management decisions during administration. The trustee must make those decisions prudently, document them carefully, and avoid any self-dealing or favoritism. At Hidden Hills estate values, beneficiaries have the financial incentive to pursue the trustee personally if they believe decisions were made improperly. I help trustees understand what they can and cannot do, when they need court approval, and how to document every significant decision. This connects to high-net-worth estate planning for ongoing structural questions. For assets outside the trust, see probate.

Questions Hidden Hills clients ask

The estate includes production company interests. How do I manage those as trustee? The trustee steps into the settlor’s ownership position in the company. You have whatever rights the ownership interest carries. Major decisions about the company may require coordination with other owners and may have implications for the company’s operations. Business counsel familiar with entertainment company governance is important alongside the trust attorney.

There are horses on the property. Who is responsible for them immediately? The trustee has immediate authority and responsibility for trust assets, including horses. Decisions about their care cannot wait for probate proceedings. Document all care decisions and expenses from day one. If the horses are a business asset, additional considerations apply.

A beneficiary is threatening to challenge the trust. What do I do? Call an attorney before making any distributions and before responding to threats. Threats of challenge do not by themselves stop administration, but they need to be taken seriously and handled correctly. Making the wrong distribution in response to a threat can create problems. Making a wrong distribution that triggers the actual challenge is worse.

Book a consultation at https://ridley.click/eric-60 or call 805-244-5291. I serve Hidden Hills and the surrounding area.