Trust Advisory Services give trustees an ongoing attorney-client relationship, so legal guidance is already in place before questions become disputes.
Book My ConsultationAdvisory Solution: You have an attorney on call — already familiar with your trust, ready to answer when a question arises, with no new engagements or delays.
Advisory Solution: Every major decision is reviewed with your attorney before you act, so your fiduciary duties are documented and your exposure is minimized.
Advisory Solution: Your attorney learns your trust inside and out — providing ongoing oversight tailored to its specific assets, structure, and beneficiaries.
Advisory Solution: Proactive reviews identify distribution and communication issues early — before they escalate into disputes or litigation.
Our Trust Advisory Service gives you structured, ongoing access to an experienced estate attorney — so you're never making critical decisions alone.
Schedule a Free CallTime-sensitive trustee decisions can't wait. Your dedicated attorney is already engaged and ready to answer — no new retainers, no delays.
Trust accountings, distribution letters, and legal notices — prepared as part of your plan, not billed separately as a surprise.
We work directly with your CPA and financial advisors to ensure everyone is aligned on tax strategy and distributions throughout the year.
In most cases, attorney fees for trustee legal counsel are a legitimate trust expense — meaning this protection may cost you nothing out of pocket.
Understand your obligations around distributions, investments, record-keeping, and beneficiary communications — so you serve with confidence and stay protected.
These services begin after the initial administration period is complete. Initial post-death administration, including notices, creditor matters, asset collection, and required statutory steps, is handled through a separate engagement.
Both plans are billed quarterly and structured around the complexity of your trust. Your attorney will help you determine which plan fits your situation during your free consultation.
Before working with SJF, every distribution decision felt like I was walking a tightrope. Now I call, get an answer the same day, and move forward with confidence. Worth every penny — most of which comes from the trust anyway.
I was named trustee of my mother's trust and had no idea what I was doing. SJF walked me through my duties, handled the tricky beneficiary communication, and caught a potential tax issue our CPA missed. Absolutely invaluable.
Two beneficiaries were ready to go to war over a distribution. SJF stepped in immediately, advised on the proper process, and we resolved it without litigation. Having them on retainer saved us tens of thousands in legal fees.
No. Trust Advisory Services are not for creating a new estate plan. They are for trustees who are already responsible for administering an ongoing irrevocable trust and need legal guidance as decisions arise.
No. The initial post-death administration period is handled through a separate engagement. Trust Advisory Services begin after that initial phase is complete and the trust transitions into ongoing management.
This service is commonly used for long-term irrevocable trusts, sub-trusts created after death, trusts holding real estate, investment portfolios, or business interests, and trusts with ongoing discretionary distributions or multiple beneficiaries.
Trustees have fiduciary duties and may face personal liability for mistakes. Ongoing counsel helps trustees address distributions, beneficiary communications, compliance questions, trust interpretation, and risk areas before they become disputes.
Trustees in an advisory relationship receive a guaranteed response within one business day, so they do not have to locate and retain new counsel every time an issue arises.
Trustee legal fees are generally payable from the trust as an administrative expense, depending on the trust and circumstances. This can be discussed during the consultation.
No. Trust Advisory Services do not include litigation representation. If a dispute arises, the firm can help assess the risk and coordinate with litigation counsel when appropriate.
Services may include interpretation of trust provisions, guidance on distributions, beneficiary communications, review of trustee correspondence, coordination with CPAs and financial advisors, routine trust administration documents, trust funding and asset transfers, accounting review, and proactive risk identification.
Advisory services are structured in quarterly terms. Level 1 is designed for low- to moderate-complexity trusts and includes up to 2 hours of attorney time per quarter. Level 2 is designed for more complex trusts and includes up to 5 hours of attorney time per quarter.
Yes. Engagements are structured in quarterly terms and may be discontinued at the conclusion of any quarter upon written notice.
A structured 30-minute consultation with an SJF estate attorney — at no cost and no obligation.
Our team will contact you within 1 business day to schedule your call.
If you are serving as trustee of an ongoing irrevocable trust, schedule a complimentary consultation to determine whether Trust Advisory Services are the right fit.
Schedule a Trustee Consultation