Executor and trustee compensation is one of the most delicate topics in estate and trust administration. Fiduciaries deserve to be paid for their work and the personal liability they assume, yet fees that are opaque or excessive breed resentment and can undermine family harmony. Understanding how fees are determined—whether by the governing document, statutory schedules, or the multifactor reasonableness standard—allows both fiduciaries and beneficiaries to approach the topic

When a person establishes a trust, they often have more than one beneficiary in mind. A spouse might receive income during their lifetime, while children or grandchildren are slated to inherit what remains. This creates two distinct classes of beneficiaries: those who benefit now and those who benefit later. Navigating these competing interests is one of the most challenging aspects of administering a trust. At the heart of this challenge lies the trustee’s duty of impartiali

Communication and transparency are at the heart of good trust administration. By keeping beneficiaries informed and providing regular accountings, trustees build trust, avoid conflict and fulfill their legal duties. Beneficiaries, in turn, should understand their rights to information and act if those rights are ignored. A well‑managed trust is not a secret—it is a collaboration between the trustee and the beneficiaries, grounded in openness and accountability.