General preparation information. A professional relationship begins only under the terms agreed with the lawyer or firm.
A trust separates the governing instrument from the assets it actually owns or receives; both pieces must be reviewed.
Build the meeting agenda
- Trustee authority comes from the trust terms and applicable law, not from the title 'trustee' alone.
Bring evidence, not just recollections
- the complete trust, amendments, schedules, and certifications
- deeds, assignments, account titles, and beneficiary confirmations showing funding
Scope, cost, and next steps
- Which assets are legally connected to the trust?
- What event activates a successor trustee's authority?
Risks to pause on
- Signing a trust without completing asset-specific funding steps can leave the intended property outside the plan.