Virginia law authorizes three types of business entities to provide professional trustee services – banks, trust companies and law firms. Although there are many good reasons to use a professional fiduciary instead of an individual, bank trust departments and trust companies are in business to manage investment assets. In contrast, Virginia Estate & Trust Law, PLC offers its corporate trustee services as an administrative trustee only. We delegate all investment management to professional investment advisors. Typically, the selected advisor is already providing investment management services to the grantor or beneficiaries of the trust. Virginia Estate & Trust Law, PLC has been providing professional fiduciary services since 2004. In addition to our expanding group of experienced trust attorneys, we have three full time trust administrators and a team of paralegals who prepare our trust tax returns. Given the significant number of trusts we currently administer, it is clear that our business model has proved successful and our long term continuity as corporate trustee is assured. As attorneys, we take a different approach to administering trusts than banks or trust companies. Risk management and problem-solving are second nature to us. We do not shy away from accepting trusts with closely held businesses, real estate investments, residences or similar assets. We have extensive experience with difficult family relationships and beneficiaries with special needs. This different approach is reflected in our fee structure. We believe that simple, trouble-free trusts should not subsidize trusts that require more attention. For that reason, our base fee covers only those services that all trusts require. Additional services are billed only when needed and at the hourly rate of the attorney, trust administrator or paralegal who provides the service. The combination of our fee as administrative trustee and the investment advisor’s fee for asset management often provides a substantial savings to the trust as compared to the full service trustee fee typically charged by banks and trust companies. Investment advisors continue to play a large part in the growth of our corporate trustee services. Many investment advisors have clients who, as grantor or beneficiary of a trust, would prefer trust assets to be managed by their own investment advisor rather than by a third party trustee. The investment advisor may suggest trustee replacement as the solution. The client benefits from the advisor’s coordination of the investment objectives of the trust assets with the client’s personal assets, as well as potential cost savings and superior trust services. Please contact any of our attorneys for additional information about our trust services or trustee replacement opportunities. |