The Trustee Intake Checklist is a comprehensive, fillable PDF designed to guide trustees through the critical first steps of assuming fiduciary responsibility. Proper intake and setup are essential to establishing authority, protecting trust assets, and creating a defensible foundation for ongoing trust administration.
 
This checklist walks trustees through confirming appointment and authority, gathering key legal and tax documents, securing and inventorying assets, opening trust bank accounts, initiating creditor and debt review, identifying and notifying beneficiaries, engaging professional advisors, and establishing recordkeeping and governance systems. It also addresses early risk management tasks, including insurance review, conflict identification, and trustee compensation documentation.
 
Ideal for successor trustees, professional fiduciaries, and trustees stepping in after a death or incapacity, this checklist helps ensure nothing is overlooked during the transition into trusteeship. The fillable PDF format allows trustees to complete the checklist electronically, add notes, and retain it as part of the trust’s permanent administrative record.