Serving as a Trustee is a serious job, which is why even professional trustees hire a Trust Attorney. As a Trust Lawyer, we advise and protect the Trustee from inception to close. Because we focus only on Trust and Estate matters clients seek our our services throughout Pennsylvania, New York, Florida and New Jersey. Where ever you are located, hiring a real Trust Lawyer makes the trust administration process easy for you.
We are flexible. We have a Trust Lawyer who can help you with one or two issues, or we can take on the entire trust administration process. At our firm, a Trust Attorney is ready to help. Very few practices can provide you that depth of experience. Advising and guiding Trustees is what we do!
We have an experienced Trust Administration Lawyer ready to help you with any task, but Trustees will most often have us help with the following:
Many firms handle Trust Administration matters on a part-time basis. Inexperience is not cost effective. Being that Trust representation is what we do, our experience allows us to focus quickly on the issues that matter. Our focus helps us arrive at the most cost efficient plan. We find the solution to your problem while the others are just warming up.
If you are going to serve as Trustee, then you have taken on a level of personal liability. You are a fiduciary with a duty to the Beneficiary. You can be made to correct any mistake by using your money. Further, any beneficiary has the right to bring you before a judge to explain every action and every expense. This threat of personal liability is why you have the legal right to retain a Trust Lawyer to represent you. The trust pays the bill, but the trust reaps the benefit of efficiency and reduced chance of litigation.
You are not expected to know how to manage every issue that arises. But you are liable if you act upon something you don’t understand when you simply had to hire a professional to assist you. If you fail to retain help and venture out on your own, then you are responsible for your mistakes. Should your error reduce the estate or trust, you are expected to use your funds to repair the damage. If you fail to rectify your error voluntarily, a Beneficiary can force you to explain yourself to a judge. The judge then can Surcharge you. If you are not an expert Trustee, why risk a mistake? Protect yourself; the system allows you to use the estate or trust funds to hire an experienced Trust Attorney.
Banks and Trust Companies serve as professional Trustees. They regularly hire either in-house lawyers or retain Trust Lawyers or Trust Attorneys such as our firm. If professionals refuse to provide services without a Trust Lawyer, why would a non-professional expose themselves to liability and go it alone?
Normally, co-trustees share the same attorney. Circumstances can make that arrangement unacceptable, and each party must retain his or her own attorney.
Examples:
One co-trustee may feel that the single attorney they initially retained is favoring the other co-trustee when it comes to handling assets or interpreting the trust.
The co-trustees may find that they cannot agree on a matter, which must be decided by the court, and the initial attorney is conflicted out or one party or the other simply wishes to have a more experienced trusts and estates trained attorney represent their position.
Co-trustees my find themselves bargaining with each other and simply feel more comfortable having the advice of his or her own attorney.
Whatever the reason, most wills and trusts allow each trustee to retain his or her own attorney which is paid for from the trust’s assets.
Our attorneys, with vast experience in trust and estate matters, can help advise you and help you avoid traps and pitfalls. If you are currently serving as a trustee, or if you are considering taking on that fiduciary responsibility, contact one of our experienced Trust and Estate Litigation Attorneys to advise and represent you.
Feel free to Contact our office to set up a free consultation. We try to make the process as painless as possible!
Many firms assign Estate and Trust Litigation cases to their young lawyers or a general litigator. This is not cost effective. Being that Estate and Trust Litigation is what we do, our experience allows us to focus quickly on the issues that matter. By being focused, we arrive at the most cost efficient plan. We find the solution to your problem while the others are just warming up.
While some firms litigate, few of them have whole departments focused exclusively on estate matters. At Klenk Law, our Trust Litigators have the luxury of partnering with other lawyers from our Probate or Estate Planning Departments. The depth of experience we can focus on your case is truly impressive. Whatever issue you are facing, our team has the answer.
Our breadth of experience allows us to successfully protect trustees and executors from ungrateful beneficiaries. Whether you are a Trustee, Agent, or Guardian, our skills will best represent your case.
Peter Klenk is the founding member of Klenk Law, a seven attorney boutique estate planning law firm. We serve clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota and Florida. Peter Klenk received his Masters in Taxation LL.M. from NYU Law School and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. He served his country in the Navy JAGC during Desert Storm. Easy to talk to, feel free to call Peter for an appointment. We will make the process as easy as possible!
"I worked for Peter Klenk for 4 wonderful years. I can’t speak highly enough of everyone at the firm. Everyone truly cares about their clients and has a strong sense of responsibility to get things done right. I would highly recommend Klenk Law!"
Flora Novick
Peter Klenk ESQ is a thoughtful and capable attorney who we work with on estate planning issues. His firm recently provided us with new Wills, Power of Attorneys and our instructions regarding major health issues. These documents are important for estate and life planning. Peter and his team are masters in the complexities of Estate Law. We highly recommend Peter and his Associates to provide thoughtful advice and outstanding work on these complex issues of the law. Make sure your estate planning documents are up to date, and Peter can be relied on to do an excellent job. Well done Peter!
I saw four lawyers and was told by all of them; I should just forget contesting my mother's will. I knew what happened, but it is very hard to prove undue influence. I contacted the Law Offices of Peter L. Klenk & Associates. Attorney Amanda DiChello took my case. They were very honest and upfront about what would be involved trying to prove what I knew was true. Attorney DiChello may be young but she is extremely knowledgeable and skilled. She listened and understood what I conveyed to her. She knew exactly what information to use and crafted an outstanding interrogatory and many powerful depositions. Attorney DiChello understood the various emotional feelings this case created for my family and me; she was always there for us with a kind and encouraging word. We went to trial. The amount of work which she and her Paralegal did for the trial was incredible. They both knew my case inside and out! Attorney DiChello's powerful interrogative and thinking skills produced a positive outcome. Attorney DiChello did what other seasoned lawyers said was impossible!
Peter Klenk was great in leading us in the estate planning process.He was clear in describing the various steps and what they would accomplish. We were well satisfied and pleased that we had Peter to guide us.
Klenk Law is an exceptional practice. Their fine lawyers and staff team up to produce excellent results for their clients. They excel at explaining the often cryptic laws and policies that govern estate planning right down to the complexities of the various "trust" frameworks. Peter himself manages each client together with his great team, and he has a rare quality to be both a walking encyclopedia of planning minutia and also one of the most likable lawyers I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with. He is truly generous in intellect and in his personal approach to getting the "big picture" for complex family structures. I trust him implicitly to help me make the right choices for the future. In short, Klenk Law is a gem of a firm.
We recently used Peter's firm to update our wills and trusts. We found he and his staff to be well-informed, professional and highly efficient. And equally valuable, Peter explains the law in terms that a layperson can readily understand.
Let us put our expertise to work for you.
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