Learn how to close a trust after death, including final accounting, taxes, reserves, beneficiary distributions, releases, account closure, and trustee records.

Trustees often ask beneficiaries to sign a receipt and release before distributing trust assets, but can they actually require it? This guide explains when beneficiary releases are used, what happens when a beneficiary refuses to sign, and how trustees can properly document partial and final trust distributions.

A special needs trust (sometimes called a supplemental needs trust) preserves eligibility by owning assets for the beneficiary and spending them only in ways that supplement—rather than replace—government support. At the heart of every special needs trust is the trustee, charged with administering the trust in accordance with complex laws and regulations. The trustee’s role is both vital and challenging, requiring diligence, compassion, and an understanding of public benefit