Dealing with a Difficult Step Parent as Trustee

In South Florida here, and particularly in Palm Beach, we have a number of clients and prospective clients who are married two, three, or four times. In many instances, there are adult children of the last marriage who are close in age to the recent spouse. Your stepmother or stepfather could be close to your age.

Many times when a senior family member dies, they may name their last spouse as the trustee of their revocable trust, or as the personal representative of their estate. If you’re a child, it can be difficult to deal with that step parent in a fiduciary role, who’s going to control the money. Knowing how to deal with those dynamics is an important part of your litigation strategy, as well as how a trust or an estate is going to be administered. Your inheritance may lie in the balance.