2026-10-29 · 4 min read · Orange County
What Does a Trustee Have to Tell the Beneficiaries in California?
The short answer
What does a trustee have to tell the beneficiaries in California? After a trust becomes irrevocable because of a death, the trustee must send a formal notice to each beneficiary and heir within 60 days, and must give a copy of the trust terms on reasonable request. The trustee also has a duty to keep beneficiaries reasonably informed, to answer reasonable requests for information, and in many cases to account at least once a year. A trust attorney can confirm what applies to your family.
What Is a Trustee's Duty to Inform?
What does a trustee have to tell the beneficiaries in California? More than many families expect, and it starts with a general duty.
I'm Jeanette Nelson, a REALTOR® with Jeanette Nelson Real Estate, Keller Williams Realty, serving Orange County, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, and surrounding areas. When a parent's home is in a trust, the person serving as trustee often asks me what they need to share with siblings and other family members. Clear communication tends to make everything about the house easier.
Probate Code 16060 says the trustee has a duty to keep beneficiaries reasonably informed of the trust and its administration. That duty runs through every step, including decisions about the house.
What Is the 60-Day Trustee Notice?
When a trust becomes irrevocable because of a death, Probate Code 16061.7 requires the trustee to serve a notification on each beneficiary and each heir of the person who died. The deadline is generally 60 days. The same notice is also required when the trustee of an irrevocable trust changes.
The notice includes:
- The identity of the person who created the trust and the date it was signed.
- The name, mailing address and phone number of each trustee.
- The address of the trust's principal place of administration.
- Any other information the trust itself requires.
- A statement that the recipient is entitled, on reasonable request, to a true and complete copy of the terms of the trust.
The notice also carries a warning about the deadline to contest the trust. Under Probate Code 16061.8, a contest generally must be brought within 120 days after the notice is served, or 60 days after a copy of the trust terms is delivered during that 120-day period, whichever is later.
This notice matters. Probate Code 16061.9 makes a trustee who fails to serve it responsible for certain damages and costs caused by that failure. Your attorney usually prepares and serves it.
Do Beneficiaries Get to See the Trust?
Yes. As the required notice states, beneficiaries and heirs who receive it can ask for a true and complete copy of the trust terms. Many families find it easier to share a copy early, with the attorney's guidance, so no one feels left out.
What Reports and Accountings Are Required?
Two Probate Code sections are central here:
- Reports on request. Under Probate Code 16061, when a beneficiary makes a reasonable request, the trustee must report information about the trust's assets, liabilities, receipts and disbursements, the trustee's acts, and the details of administration that relate to that beneficiary's interest.
- Accountings. Probate Code 16062 says that in many cases a trustee must account at least once a year, when the trust ends, and when the trustee changes. Some situations are exceptions, so ask your attorney what applies.
If a beneficiary has concerns, Probate Code 17200 lets them ask the court to review the trust's administration. That's another reason steady, written updates help.
What Should Beneficiaries Hear About Selling the House?
The duty to keep beneficiaries reasonably informed applies to the house, too. Read the trust closely, since some require certain beneficiaries to consent or name a co-trustee who must also sign. For more, see can a trustee sell the house if not all the beneficiaries agree.
Many trustees share these updates in writing:
- The plan for keepsakes and belongings.
- How the home's value was estimated, and the pricing plan.
- Any repairs or preparation, and what they cost.
- Offers received and the terms accepted.
- When escrow closes and what happens with the proceeds.
Sending the same update to everyone at the same time keeps things fair and calm. For the full process, see what does a successor trustee have to do in California and how do I sell a house in a trust in California.
This is general information, not legal advice. A trust attorney can tell you exactly what your trust and California law require.
Let's Start With a Conversation
If you're serving as trustee and your family is deciding what to do with the house, I'd be glad to have a private planning conversation with your family. Learn more about trust sales. Call or text me at 714.366.8575 | DRE: 01397168, or contact me.
Frequently asked questions
How soon must a trustee notify beneficiaries in California?
How soon must the trustee give notice? When a trust becomes irrevocable because of a death, Probate Code 16061.7 generally requires notice within 60 days.
Can a beneficiary ask for a copy of the trust?
Can a beneficiary see the trust? Yes. The required notice tells recipients they can get a true and complete copy of the trust terms on reasonable request.
How often does a trustee have to account?
How often must the trustee account? Probate Code 16062 says in many cases at least once a year, when the trust ends and when the trustee changes, with some exceptions.
Does the trustee need beneficiary approval to sell the house?
Is approval needed to sell? Many trusts don't require it, yet some do. The trustee must still keep beneficiaries reasonably informed. Your attorney can review the trust.