The Process:

 

Step 1: We schedule an up to 30-minute phone or Zoom consultation to discuss your need and to determine if we are a good fit. This initial consultation is free of charge.

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Step 2: If you decide to use my services, you complete my intake form and we execute the service agreement. You contact your attorney to begin the process of creating or updating your estate plan. It is best that your attorney send me a draft for review prior to your signing.

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Step 3: Your attorney sends me complete, signed copies of your documents.

 

Step 4: A $350 onboarding fee ($450 effective January 1, 2026) will be charged at the time I receive your estate plan and the service agreement. If you request an in-person meeting, it shall take place at your home or a mutually-agreed upon venue and the onboarding fee will cover this meeting, provided it is within Marin County. Please note I have a home office and do not take meetings at my office.​​

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Step 5: We stay in contact over time in case you have any changes to your life or estate plan.  

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IMPORTANT NOTE:   I am not able to take on the role of co-trustee or joint agent under POA. Professional fiduciaries carry Errors & Omissions insurance, which does not cover us for joint actions.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

 

"Why should I Use a Professional Fiduciary instead of my sister or my financial advisor in San Diego?

Most fiduciaries come into this line of work because we discover that we thrive in an ever-changing work environment. Your fiduciary has to understand taxes, investments, the local real estate market, health care, end-of-life decisions and how to deal with complicated family dynamics. Fiduciaries have compassion coupled with practicality. Does your sister in another state or your financial planner in Southern California have the time or expertise in all of these areas? Does sis understand that she is personally liable if she makes a mistake? Will your financial panner hire a local real estate agent who understands the local market? Will they make sure your family photos are offered to your cousins, or simply haul them to the dumpster?

 

"What happens when you retire? Do you have a successor?"

You and your trust dictates what happens when your fiduciary cannot act. Your attorney can help you with the proper wording. You may allow me to name a successor, you may interview several fiduciaries and name a secondary, or you may allow a majority of your beneficiaries or another party to name someone.

 

If I named in a trust as successor trustee but not acting as fiduciary yet (you have legal capacity), I will call you if I plan to retire and recommend another fiduciary you can interview. It is always YOUR decision, provided you have capacity. If I am acting as fiduciary, and closing out a trust, I will finish the job. If I am acting as fiduciary for an ongoing trust administration for a client who lacks capacity, the terms of your trust will prevail. 

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"What happens when you go on vacation? Do you have a staff?" 

I am a sole practitioner. This means I personally answer my phone, my emails, meet with my clients and do the work myself, excepting those responsibilities I delegate to other licensed professionals, like tax preparation, financial planning, property management, and real estate transactions. This also means that I take my laptop and cell phone with me when I am on vacation to respond to urgent matters. If there is a life-or-death emergency I have a backup who will go to a client's home and secure the property.

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If you are looking for a larger company with a receptionist and other support staff, and a fiduciary who mainly focuses on your investment portfolio and hires out or delegates most of the work, I am not the fiduciary for you. If you want someone who sits with you in the hospital and makes sure your chart is accurate; who corrals your cat and finds her a home; who goes through your house after you die to make sure items can be sold, donated or recycled; and who understands the local real estate market and the differences between Mill Valley and Strawberry, Kentfield and Kent Woodlands, or Santa Venetia and Terra Linda, then that's what I do. Every fiduciary has a different approach and mine is personal and hands-on.

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"Do you have references?"

Yes, I am happy to provide you with names of attorneys, tax professionals and financial advisors with whom I have worked. For privacy reasons, I cannot provide names of clients or their families.

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"What if I move out of your service area?" 

Call me to discuss. If your trust remains a California trust and your property is in California I may be able to continue as your fiduciary. If you are selling everything and moving out of the area, or the state, you will most likely need to find another fiduciary. 

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"Will you manage my rental properties?"

It depends. Rental properties, while an excellent income stream, can be a liability to your estate, to your trust, and to your trustee. I will nearly always hire a licensed property manager. If you have properties in rent-controlled jurisdictions such as Oakland, San Francisco, or Fairfax, and I have to sell the property when you pass; if the rental unit is unwarranted (illegal); or if you have an informal live-work exchange agreement or at-will tenants, I will most likely decline your case.

 

"I am currently serving as trustee and I don't want to do it any more. Will you take over?"

It depends on the circumstances. I will require a trust accounting, property appraisals, and property inspection before agreeing to take over from a non-professional trustee. ​

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"I have someone else as my fiduciary and want you as a backup. Is that ok?"

Yes, provided we go through the interview process as described above. The onboarding fee will still apply.

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