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Can I name multiple trustees for my California trust?

On Behalf of | Jan 28, 2025 | ESTATE PLANNING - Trusts

Picking the right trustee stands as one of your most important estate planning decisions. The choice between a single trustee or multiple trustees affects how your trust will serve your family’s needs.

Multiple trustees bring extra oversight to your trust management but also create new challenges you need to understand. Your trustee selection shapes every aspect of how your trust will protect and distribute your assets.

Understanding multiple trustees

Your trust needs clear management guidelines if you decide to choose more than one trustee. Think about these important points:

  • Teamwork requirements: Multiple trustees must collaborate on trust decisions, creating stronger oversight but potentially slower action
  • Time management: Several trustees can split duties like investment oversight, tax planning and family communication
  • Location issues: Trustees who live far apart might struggle to meet in person or handle urgent matters quickly
  • Skill distribution: Each trustee brings unique abilities, from financial expertise to deep family understanding

These management realities can affect your trust’s daily operations. You need to weigh each factor against your family’s specific needs.

Common hurdles with multiple trustees

Adding trustees to your trust creates specific challenges that need your attention. Watch for these potential issues:

  • Trust management conflicts between trustees
  • Higher administrative expenses
  • Extended time for making decisions
  • Problems with trustee communication
  • Increased paperwork and documentation needs

These obstacles often need specific solutions in your trust document. You can avoid many problems by creating detailed guidelines for your trustees.

Multiple trustees work best when you match this structure to your situation in order to help achieve your estate planning goals. Talk with your estate planning attorney about whether multiple trustees fit your needs.