How canI see an original trust document?
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How canI see an original trust document?
My father passed away and he left a living trust. The trust was placed under my sister’s control; at the time I was under very heave medication. I never saw the original trust but the paperwork that I was given had been changed. I need to know where I can find the original trust document or a certified copy to see what my father wanted. She did everything in private and I never saw what the trust had to say. My father was not a rich man but in his lifetime he did good. There is about $1.5 M involved.
Asked on November 27, 2011 under Estate Planning, California
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
You need to find out if there is an attorney who handled the trust. If so, you need to talk to that lawyer about obtaining a copy of the trust, since the lawyer should have a notarized and legal version of the trust, if not the original itself for safekeeping. If that is not highly likely a situation, you need to ask your sister or sue her in court if you feel and have legal evidence to believe she is wasting trust assets or not giving you what is owed to you if you are listed as a beneficiary. If she is the trustee, she has a fiduciary responsibility to both the trust, its assets and debts and to you as among the beneficiaries.
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