Oceanside Trust Litigation Lawyer

While trusts are often created to help make the grieving process easier on loved ones, sometimes disputes and issues can arise when it comes time to administer the trust. Whether a trustee is neglecting their legal duties or a beneficiary disagrees with a trust’s terms, it is crucial to find an experienced trust litigation attorney who can help you find a solution to your situation. If you or your loved ones are experiencing issues, disagreements, or other conflicts between a trustee or other beneficiaries, see how our Oceanside team at Paul V.L. Campo, Attorney at Law, can assist you.

Paul V.L. Campo, Attorney at Law: Your Oceanside Trust Litigation Lawyer

Whether you are a beneficiary or a trustee, you want the trust administration process to go as smoothly as possible. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Here at Paul V.L. Campo, Attorney at Law, we understand just how complex the trust administration process can become for everyone involved. That’s why we provide multiple kinds of expert legal services, such as trust litigation, to help our clients through difficult situations involving estate plans and their administration. With decades of experience, we are prepared to help you settle disputes and keep the trust administration process going smoothly.

What Is Trust Litigation?

In simple terms, trust litigation occurs when a disagreement or some form of conflict arises —most often between a trustee and a beneficiary. Because a trust is a legally binding estate planning document, all disputes regarding a trust’s terms, administration, or validity must be handled in probate court. Some of the most common issues that require the help of trust litigation include the following.

Proving the Validity of a Trust

If loved ones or beneficiaries have sufficient reason to believe certain aspects of a trust or an entire trust is not valid, they can file to prove its invalidity. If the court decides to take further action from the petition they filed, they investigate the validity of the documents in question, how they were created, who signed them, and if the trust should still be administered according to the original terms. If the trust is ultimately proven to be invalid, it is going to be administered according to different terms or not at all.

Trustee Disputes / Petitions to Remove a Trustee

Some beneficiaries may believe the trust is being administered incorrectly, they aren’t being given what they rightfully deserve, or the trustee is not following their legal responsibilities. If this occurs, the beneficiary can work with a lawyer to make their disagreements known through trust litigation. When a trustee doesn’t follow their legal duties or neglects them, a beneficiary has the right to petition to remove and replace them.

Disputes Over Trust Terms (Trust Contest)

Sometimes a trustee, a beneficiary, or a third party may have an issue with the terms of a trust. This is known as a trust contest and occurs when an individual believes the actual language of a trust is being misinterpreted or used incorrectly. A trust contest can also occur if an individual believes certain terms were added by coercion, as a mistake, or in a fraudulent manner.

Beneficiary Disputes

Trustees also have the right to file claims against beneficiaries if they have sufficient reason to believe their beneficiary status is invalid in some way. In some cases, a beneficiary may claim they are not being given what they are owed, they make false claims against a trustee, or the trustee believes their status was added through coercion or fraudulent means.

How Can a Trust Litigation Attorney Help You?

Whether you are a trustee or a beneficiary, a trust litigation lawyer can help you when disputes arise. Here are just a few of the ways our team can assist you with the trust litigation process:

• Helping you better understand the different legal aspects. Trusts are legal agreements created to distribute property and assets, most often after an individual passes away. However, each kind of trust works differently and must be administered by the unique terms laid out by the grantor (the person who created the trust). Because of this, there is a wide range of different legal aspects surrounding creating trusts, proving their validity, and properly administering them. When you work with our team, we can make sure you understand the different laws around a trust and the administration process.
• Helping you file petitions and paperwork properly. When issues arise, working with an expert trust litigation lawyer can help immensely. Our team can evaluate your situation to better understand the issues occurring, and we can also help you to file the proper paperwork and petitions necessary for your dispute to be heard. Whether you’re looking to prove a trust’s invalidity or want to petition to remove a trustee, we can help you move the process forward.
• Working to find a solution quickly and settle the dispute. The trust administration process is meant to be relatively quick, as it is often used by people who are trying to avoid the probate process after they pass away. When disputes occur, though, the administration of a trust can be put on pause until all issues have been addressed. Because of this, working with a trust litigation lawyer who is familiar with the dispute process can help you find a solution that works best for the situation. Trust lawyers can also help to settle the dispute faster so that you can return to administering the trust.

Expert, Thorough Trust Litigation Assistance in Oceanside, CA

With over 30 years of experience assisting families and individuals across California, our team at Paul V.L. Campo, Attorney at Law, has helped countless clients through estate planning and trust administration matters. We understand that disputes can make the trust administration process much more difficult. That’s why when it comes to trust litigation, we’re dedicated to helping trustees and beneficiaries solve problems efficiently. For additional information on our Oceanside trust litigation services or to learn more about our firm, contact us today to schedule a meeting with our team.