Professional Fiduciary Services.
A professional fiduciary is an independent professional who serves in a legally authorized role for someone else: handling finances, making health care decisions, administering a trust, or settling an estate. FCMS serves in each of these roles when appropriately appointed.
Which role fits your situation.
The role FCMS can take depends on your circumstances, the documents already in place, whether a court is involved, and whether FCMS accepts the engagement. Here is what each role is and where its authority comes from.
- Serving as agent under a durable power of attorney for finances. Accepted selectively. Authority comes from: a durable power of attorney that names FCMS as agent.
Financial Power of Attorney
- For people planning ahead without a suitable family member to make health care decisions. Considered individually. Authority comes from: an advance health care directive that names FCMS as agent.
Professional Health Care Agent
- Court-supervised conservatorship of person, estate, or both, when capacity has failed and lighter tools are not enough. Authority comes from: an appointment by the court.
Conservatorship Services
- The full year of work after a settlor dies — notices, accountings, taxes, property, and distributions, start to finish. Authority comes from: the trust document.
Trust Administration
- Probate administration when there is no trust, serving as executor or administrator alongside the family’s attorney. Authority comes from: an appointment by the probate court.
Decedent Estate & Probate Support
- Special needs trust administration with attention to SSI and Medi-Cal eligibility requirements, plus payback tracking. Authority comes from: the trust document, and in some cases a court order.
Special Needs Trust Support
What the role involves.
These involve legally authorized roles, such as an agent under a power of attorney, conservator, trustee, or estate representative, as applicable. Depending on the role, responsibilities may include ongoing administration, oversight, decision-making within the scope of authority, communication, recordkeeping, and required reporting.
Each engagement is considered individually, and the work begins only after FCMS formally accepts it. Our health care and dementia background supports every role, and is especially relevant when the person has dementia.
Not sure which role you need?
Whether you're planning ahead or facing a current care concern, FCMS can help determine whether a consultation, defined project, or professional fiduciary appointment may be appropriate.
If someone already holds the authority and needs help carrying out the work, see Care Coordination & Decision-Maker Support. If you are planning ahead, see Future Care Continuity Planning.
How working with FCMS begins.
- Initial consultation and assessment of the proposed role.
- Review of authority, documents, and engagement requirements.
- Formal acceptance and commencement of responsibilities.
- Ongoing administration, communication, documentation, and reporting as required by the appointment.
Consultations are by appointment and held in strict confidence.
Or call 760-33-TRUST (760-338-7878) directly.
Discretion and confidentiality are fundamental to our practice. Information submitted through this form is kept private and used solely for purposes of communication regarding potential fiduciary services.