Beneficiary Representation

Estate attorneys often focus on representing fiduciaries, but beneficiaries may also seek counsel to understand and enforce their rights.

You could have the best estate plan in the world, with carefully crated provisions to provide for all of your family members’ unique needs, but what happens if the persons tasked with administering the plan fail?

People often name a family member as their Personal Representative/Executor or Trustee. Presumably they trust this person to handle their affairs, but there is much room for error. The fiduciary could lack the proper skills to handle the task, or they could simply lack the time to do it. Worse, they could have strained personal relationships with one or more beneficiaries. Or they could lack the same values as the decedent, and refuse to carry out their wishes.

In any of these circumstances, the beneficiaries are entitled to see the estate plan carried out properly. This can often be accomplished with just a few phone calls and letters to the fiduciaries, but if all else fails, then we can seek redress in court.