Trust & Estate Administration

Clear Guidance for Trustees, Executors, and Families

When You’re Responsible for Settling a Trust or Estate

Being named a trustee or personal representative (executor) carries legal duties and personal pressure. You may be fielding questions from beneficiaries, managing accounts, handling property, and navigating deadlines—all while trying to honor a loved one’s wishes. Hopkins Law helps Arizona trustees and executors administer trusts and estates properly, efficiently, and with reduced risk of conflict.

What Is Trust Administration?

Trust administration is the process of carrying out a trust after the person who created it (the grantor) has passed away—or when a successor trustee steps in. Even though trusts can help avoid probate, administration still involves important legal and financial tasks, including:

• Identifying and securing trust assets
• Notifying beneficiaries and handling required communications
• Managing and documenting expenses
• Coordinating asset transfers and distributions under the trust terms
• Preparing accountings and maintaining records to reduce conflict
  
  

We help trustees understand their duties under Arizona law and the trust document, so you can move forward with confidence.

What Is Estate Administration?

Estate administration typically refers to settling someone’s affairs after death—often through probate, but sometimes through simpler alternatives depending on how assets are titled. Administration tasks often include:

• Filing required court documents (when probate is needed)
• Identifying estate assets and valuing property
• Notifying creditors and addressing claims
• Paying debts and taxes appropriately
• Distributing remaining assets to heirs and beneficiaries
• Closing the estate correctly to avoid lingering liability
  
  

If you’re unsure whether probate is required, we’ll help you determine the right path and avoid unnecessary steps.

Key Benefits of Professional Trust & Estate Administration

Trust Administration vs Probate Administration
Which Process Applies to Your Situation?

Many families aren’t sure whether they’re dealing with trust administration, probate, or both. The answer depends on how assets were titled and whether a valid trust was fully funded. In some cases, a trust avoids probate entirely. In others, certain assets may still require court involvement.

Trust administration typically applies when assets were properly transferred into a living trust. The successor trustee manages distributions privately, following the trust terms and Arizona law. Probate administration, on the other hand, is usually required when assets remain in an individual’s name at death and must be transferred through the court process.

Hopkins Law helps you determine which path applies before any filings are made. We review the trust, will, and asset structure to prevent unnecessary court steps and avoid costly delays. Whether you’re a trustee, executor, or beneficiary, we clarify the process and build a roadmap that protects both the estate and the people involved.

Frequently Asked Trust & Estate Administration Questions

Get a Clear Plan for Trust or Estate Administration

If you’ve been named a trustee or executor, you don’t have to navigate the process alone. Hopkins Law provides structured, professional guidance so you can fulfill your responsibilities confidently and protect both the estate and yourself.