Marshaling Assets

“If your estate involves a California-based trust, real estate, significant liquid assets, or a family that doesn’t always see eye-to-eye, you need a professional trustee. Consider it an essential safeguard for your legacy.”
~ Kevin Singer, Professional Trustee & Founder of The Trustees Group

• Marshaling Assets: The First Step
• What Does Marshaling Assets Actually Mean?
• The Challenges for High-Net-Worth Families
• Why a Professional Trustee is Essential
• The “Personal Service” Difference
• The Legal Roadmap in Los Angeles
• Contact The Trustees Group

Marshaling Assets: The First Step

Marshaling Assets, as the term relates to Trusts and the responsibilities of the Administrative Trustee or Professional Trustee, encompasses the actions taken by a professional trustee in order to understand the trust documents, identify the assets belonging to the trust, and assume managerial control over the trust assets.

The Trustees Group, as professional administrative trustees and upon the passing of the settlor, will thoroughly examine all trust documents and create an inventory of all assets contained in the trust.

Once the inventory is completed, The Trustees Group will take managerial control over these assets. Oftentimes, some or all of the assets are not readily available or locatable. In these instances, The Trustees Group will need to track down any outstanding assets. We have an entire office staff of experienced professional ready to help us find any missing assets.

Whether asset location requires petitioning the court or finding unknown safety deposit boxes, The Trustees Groups has the resources needed to get the job done.

When someone with a lot of wealth passes away or chooses to step back from managing their money, their Trust becomes the roadmap for what happens next. In the legal and financial world of California, one of the first and most important jobs of a Trustee is marshaling assets in Los Angeles.

While the term sounds like something a general would do with an army, in the world of high-net-worth estate planning, it simply means gathering, identifying, and protecting everything the person owned. For a Professional Trustee, this is where the real work begins.

What Does Marshaling Assets Actually Mean?

Think of a Trust like a large, empty treasure chest. Ideally, the person who created the Trust (the Grantor) put all their “treasures”—their houses, bank accounts, and stocks—inside that chest while they were alive.

However, life is messy. People buy new cars, open new investment accounts, or start businesses and sometimes forget to officially link them to the Trust. Marshaling assets is the process of:

1. Finding every single piece of property.
2. Verifying who owns it.
3. Bringing it under the control of the Trustee so it can be managed or given to the right people (the beneficiaries).

In a city like Los Angeles, where wealth often includes complicated real estate, private business interests, and unique collectibles, this isn’t a job for a beginner.

The Challenges for High-Net-Worth Families

For families with significant wealth, marshaling assets is rarely as simple as looking at a single bank statement. High-net-worth individuals often have “fragmented” wealth.

• Diverse Real Estate: You might have a primary home in Bel Air, a vacation rental in Malibu, and commercial property in downtown LA.
• Physical Assets: This includes fine art, jewelry, classic car collections, or even private planes.
• Digital and Financial Assets: Crypto-currency, offshore accounts, and complicated stock options.

When a Professional Trustee steps in, they must act quickly. If a luxury home is left sitting empty without the right insurance or security, its value could drop. If a stock market swing happens and the Trustee hasn’t secured the trading accounts, the family could lose millions.

Why a Professional Trustee is Essential

Many people choose a family member to be their Trustee. While this comes from a place of love, it can be an overwhelming burden. A family member might not know how to handle a “Heggstad Petition” (a legal move in California to put a forgotten asset into a Trust) or how to properly value a Hollywood production company.

This is why many families in Southern California turn to an Administrative or Professional Trustee. We provide a level of expertise that ensures nothing is missed.

1. Experienced Full Office Staff

Marshaling assets is a team sport. It requires making dozens of phone calls to banks, coordinating with appraisers, and filing paperwork with the County Recorder. Our office features an experienced full office staff that handles the heavy lifting. We know exactly who to call at the major banks and how to navigate the specific requirements of the Los Angeles County courts.

2. Protecting the Value

Once an asset is found, it must be “secured.” This might mean changing the locks on a property, hiring a specialized curator to move fine art into a climate-controlled vault, or ensuring a business has a manager to keep it running. We act as the shield for the estate.

The “Personal Service” Difference

In a digital world, some big banks treat Trust administration like a computer program. But high-net-worth estates aren’t just numbers on a screen; they represent a person’s life work and a family’s future.

We pride ourselves on personal service. This means we meet with the family, listen to their concerns, and explain the process in plain English. We understand that behind every “asset” is a memory—a family home where holidays were spent or a business built from the ground up. Our goal is to handle the technical side of marshaling assets in Los Angeles so the family can focus on their own well-being.

The Legal Roadmap in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has specific rules regarding how property is transferred and taxed. A Professional Trustee ensures that all “Notice to Beneficiaries” are sent out on time and that the “Inventory and Appraisal” is filed correctly. Missing a deadline in the California probate code can lead to expensive lawsuits or unnecessary taxes.

By having a professional team, you ensure that the “treasure chest” is organized, the lid is locked tight against creditors or errors, and the wealth is ready to be used exactly how the creator intended.

Contact The Trustees Group

Engaging a professional trustee to manage your family trust helps to ensure that your life’s work is not only preserved but handled with the professional dignity it deserves.

For more information about the professional trustees at The Trustees Group or to engage The Trustees Group, use our Trustee Contact Form or call Mr. Singer directly at: 310.552.5315.