A “trust administration” is the process of moving property that is held in a Revocable Living Trust to the heirs after the owner of the trust has died. Unlike a probate, this is a private procedure that happens outside of any court supervision. The “successor trustee” takes control of the trust assets, beneficiaries are given a copy of the estate plan and an opportunity to contest the estate plan, debts are paid, and assets are distributed to heirs. The process generally takes less than six months. Attorneys charge hourly rates for the time they spend, so fees are far less than those for a probate. Depending on the complexity of the estate, fees may range from $2,000 to $5,000 for most trust estates. The process avoids any Medi-Cal recovery and takes advantage of all available tax savings opportunities.