How do you locate a trust from an inheritance that was left for you if the deceased family member was distant?

Answer 1

That is a tough one. Trusts and corporations can be very hard to find. Corporations can usually be looked up at each state's secretary of state website. Some let you look up by registrants name and corporation name. Some only allow you to look up by the corporation name. As to trusts it is an entirely different matter and far tougher. You need to know the account number and the institution holding it. You also have to be a desinated beneficiary or trustee to gain access to it. You will need a death certificate and valid ID that shows your relation to the decedent (deceased family member) for each bank or financial institution. Many trusts go unclaimed and end up going to the state just like unclaimed lock boxes. If you think there might be a trust but you aren't sure you might want to dig a little deeper by yourself first. Attorneys and private detectives are expensive and their state by state searches for a trust can easily end up costing more than the trust is worth fast. If the trust was left for you solely try and find out with what bank and as many details as you can. If the decedents family is being secretive or tough it could mean you need to get an attorney involved. Try and get as much info as you can first and then seek an attorneys help. Also, the decedents immediate family could also fight the legality of the trust so it may be wise to seek an experienced attorneys help here. A private detective can help if you need to search banks and such, but most of this you can do yourself. Good luck.