Elder Law Issues

Elder Law Issues


Declining to Serve as Trustee

January 11, 2026

Declining to Serve as Trustee (and other roles)

It is very easy for people to feel obligated to serve in a fiduciary role if they have been nominated. Roles such as trustee, agent or personal representative require a great deal of responsibility and work. Fulfilling these roles can be confusing, tiring and frustrating.

Fortunately, if you have been nominated you do not have to serve. Fiduciary roles are not obligatory, and, in this podcast, we discuss the option of declining to serve as trustee. We also touch on resigning as trustee if you decided to serve but then became overwhelmed.