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By: Scott Grossman on June 22nd, 2017

My Trustee Won’t Give Me My Inheritance

Help! My Trustee Won’t Give Me My Inheritance

Maybe it’s the heat but in the last two weeks, it seems like I’ve gotten a steady stream of calls from people who are having trouble getting their trustees to make a distribution to them.  More accurately, their trustee won’t give them any part of their inheritance.

There are a number of reasons a trustee won’t make a distribution.

Probably the most common reason is the trustee doesn’t understand the trust. Sometimes a trustee doesn’t make the distribution because they’re just plain lazy. Even though it’s their job, they still don’t make distributions even when the trust calls for those distributions.

Some trustees won’t make distributions because they’ve done something wrong and they’re hoping to cover it up. The trustee may have mismanaged trust assets or, in some cases, wrongfully taken trust assets for themselves.

What should I do?

One piece of advice I give to every beneficiary who calls me saying they can’t get their inheritance is don’t wait. Do something about it now!  Have the trust reviewed by a trust litigation attorney.  It’s unlikely but maybe you are asking for something you aren’t supposed to get from the trust.  If the trustee is incompetent then they need to be forced to act or they need to be removed.  If the trustee is crooked then you need to have your attorney get the distribution and a trust account so you can find out if you have gotten everything you are entitled to.

We are here to help you get the inheritance that you rightfully deserve! This article on How To Get Your Trustee To Distribute Your Inheritance may be helpful to you. Call us at (888) 443-6590 to schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation or request our free book Winning The Inheritance Battle: The Ultimate Guide To California Trust And Probate Litigation to help you decide what the right next step is and to help you better understand your rights as a beneficiary.