Our services fall broadly into the following categories. Outlined below highlights the administrative role associated with our services that you can depend on us to provide.

 

Trusts

While there are many types of trusts, our duties as trustee are similar for each.

  • Assist in structuring and funding your trust 
    This is done in collaboration with you and your advisors and takes into account the specific needs or changing circumstances
    of you and your beneficiaries. We can quickly and easily be named as successor trustee, even in the midst of disputes or litigation.
  • Hold, manage and safeguard your assets
    We work closely with your investment advisor and monitor the performance of the investments. Our impartial and objective management also safeguards your additional assets, which may also include farms, residential property, commercial property, commodities, collectibles and other unusual or non-liquid assets.
  • Team approach to address healthcare, if required
    When healthcare is required, we work with the beneficiary and his or her medical professionals to create a care plan. Along with providing financial support, we work with care managers to hire and oversee caregivers.
  • Complete all administration associated with the trust   
    This covers all financial administration including tracking all trust events and action items, providing regularly scheduled financial reports and filing tax returns. For court-supervised special needs trusts, we report to the court on an annual basis.

 

Directed Trusts

We have access to some of the best directed trust laws in America. In summary, a directed trust allows a person creating a trust to direct specific duties of the trust to a third party, rather than conferring all authority and duties to a trustee.

The following are examples of when clients might want to use this option:

  • A family member wants to remain in control of a privately-held family business
  • The grantor wants to name a specific investment advisor in the trust document
  • A third party is best placed to manage all real estate or farms held inside a trust
  • The grantor of the trust wants to retain a large concentration of publicly-held stock

 

Estate Settlement

During a time of grief, having a professional Personal Representative allows the family to focus on processing the loss of a loved one, rather than administration. In the process of settling an estate, we provide a wide range of services to meet the specific needs to the decedent and the beneficiaries. After the estate attorney opens the probate and names us as Personal Representative, we then:  

  • Complete all administration required by law during the estate settlement process, including admitting the will to probate and providing detailed income and expense accountings to the heirs
  • Collect, inventory, and value assets
  • Safeguard all personal property and real estate during the probate period
  • Determine and pay legitimate creditor claims and expenses associated with the ongoing administration of the estate
  • Value, manage and dispose of complex business assets, including overseeing the transition of the business to heirs in accordance with the decedent’s wishes
  • Complete final state and federal tax returns, including personal and estate income tax
  • Distribute all personal property or hold an estate sale in accordance with the decedent’s written directions.

 

Other Services

Sometimes a client needs fiduciary services that do not fall into the above categories, or desire to remain partially in control of their trusts or estates. In these cases, we often act as co-trustee, agent, or directed trustee. In addition, we are often appointed by the courts as guardian of the estate/conservator, in which cases we offer our fiduciary services to our clients with the added requirement of reporting to the court system.

"Having Northwest Trustee & Management Services in one's life is like having a trusted member of the family living nearby--unobtrusive, competent and caring, dedicated to your well-being. I recommend choosing their services when dependability is essential."

Jack Poole (Spokane, WA)