What to Do When You Receive a Trustee Notification Letter in California

A trustee notification letter arrives in a plain envelope, often weeks or months after a parent dies. Many beneficiaries set it aside, assuming it is routine paperwork or that someone else is handling everything. In California, that envelope starts a statutory clock that governs your right to contest the trust, demand an accounting, and ask questions about what you are inheriting. Ignoring it or waiting too long can forfeit those rights entirely.

What does a trustee notification letter tell you?

The notification letter formally identifies you as a beneficiary of a trust and confirms that the settlor (the person who created the trust) has died. It must state the name and contact information of the current trustee, provide a copy of the trust or explain how to request one, and inform you of your right to receive a report of trust assets and liabilities. The letter also starts the period during which you may file a contest if you believe the trust is invalid, was procured by undue influence, or does not reflect the settlor's true intent. The trustee is required to send this notice under California law, and the contents and timing of the letter determine the deadlines that follow.

If the notification includes a complete copy of the trust and a statutory warning about the contest period, it is often called a "16061.7 notice" after the Probate Code section that governs it. If the letter omits key information or the trust itself, the contest clock may not start at all, leaving your rights open indefinitely. Read every page carefully, note the postmark or delivery date, and keep the envelope.

How long do you have to act after receiving the notice?

The contest deadline runs from the date you are served with a compliant trustee notification. The length of that period depends on what the notice contains and how it was delivered. A notice that includes the full trust and the statutory language triggers a shorter deadline than one that omits required information. The outside limitations period may also apply if no proper notice is ever sent. Because the calculation is mechanical and unforgiving, many beneficiaries use the trust contest deadline calculator to confirm their exact date, then consult counsel well before it arrives.

Once the deadline passes, a contest becomes much harder. Courts treat the statutory period as a bright line, and late filings are typically dismissed unless the beneficiary can show fraud, forgery, or that no valid notice was ever served. Even if you do not intend to contest, knowing your deadline lets you make an informed choice rather than lose the option by accident.

What are you entitled to ask for?

Receiving the notification letter entitles you to request a full copy of the trust if one was not included, a report of the trust's assets and liabilities as of the settlor's death, and an explanation of how the trustee plans to administer the estate. You may also ask for the terms of your specific bequest, the identity of other beneficiaries, and the trustee's contact information. The trustee must respond to reasonable requests within a reasonable time, and refusal or silence can be grounds for a court petition.

If you suspect the trustee is withholding information, mismanaging assets, or favoring one beneficiary over another, you have the right to demand a formal accounting. An accounting is a line-by-line report of every dollar that came into the trust and every dollar that went out, with receipts and explanations. Trustees often resist because accountings are detailed and expensive to prepare, but beneficiaries do not need to prove wrongdoing before asking. The request itself is a statutory right. The guide to trust accounting explains what the report must include and how to enforce the duty if the trustee refuses.

What happens if you do nothing?

Silence after receiving the notification letter is treated as acceptance. The contest deadline runs whether or not you respond, and once it passes, the trust is presumed valid. The trustee may distribute assets, sell property, and close accounts without further notice to you. If you later discover that the trust was changed under suspicious circumstances, that assets were misvalued, or that you were disinherited by a last-minute amendment, reopening the case becomes far more difficult and expensive. Courts are reluctant to disturb distributions that have already been made, and the trustee may argue that you waived your claims by staying silent.

Even if you trust the trustee and expect a straightforward distribution, acknowledging the letter and asking a few basic questions creates a record. A short email confirming receipt, asking for a copy of the trust if you do not have one, and requesting an estimated timeline for distribution costs nothing and preserves your position. If problems surface later, you can show that you were engaged and that the trustee had notice of your interest.

A trustee notification letter in California starts the statutory contest period, entitles the beneficiary to request a copy of the trust and an accounting of assets, and requires a response within the deadline set by Probate Code section 16061.7. The exact length of the contest period depends on the contents of the notice and the method of service, and varies by case. As of September 2026, a compliant notice that includes the full trust and statutory warning typically triggers a deadline measured from the date of service. This summary applies to revocable trusts administered in California and does not cover irrevocable trusts created during the settlor's lifetime, charitable trusts, or trusts governed by another state's law.

When should you talk to a lawyer?

You should consult a trust litigation attorney if the notification letter raises any red flags: the trust was recently amended, you were disinherited or your share was reduced, the trustee is a sibling or stepparent with whom you have a strained relationship, or the letter omits required information. An attorney can review the notice, calculate your deadline, and tell you whether the trust shows signs of undue influence, lack of capacity, or procedural defects. Many beneficiaries wait until after the contest deadline passes, assuming they can always sue later, but by then the case is much harder to win and far more expensive to bring.

Even if you do not see obvious problems, a consultation before the deadline is inexpensive insurance. The attorney can confirm that the notice was valid, that the trust matches earlier versions, and that the trustee is following the terms. If the trustee is not communicating or has refused to provide documents, the attorney can send a demand letter or file a petition to compel compliance. The page on what to do when a trustee will not communicate explains the enforcement tools California law provides and what a court can order if the trustee ignores requests.

What to do right now

Open the envelope and read every page. Note the date you received it, and mark your calendar with the contest deadline if the letter states one. If the letter does not include a full copy of the trust, send a written request for one immediately, and keep a copy of your request. If you have questions about your share, the trustee's authority, or changes made to the trust before the settlor died, write them down and decide whether you need help answering them. The notification letter is not a formality. It is the starting gun for a process that moves forward whether or not you participate, and the decisions you make in the weeks after receiving it determine what you can do if something goes wrong.

If you have received a trustee notification letter and are not sure what it means or what you should do next, talk it through with someone who handles these cases every day. We answer at (415) 275-1492 around the clock, or you can tell us what happened in writing. Nothing you say commits you to anything.