Stand-Alone Trusts
In addition to our pooled trust services, JLA Trust also provides limited private fiduciary services for clients seeking them.
JLA Trust offers highly personalized private fiduciary services, including stand-alone trust administration, to a limited number of clients. Our decade of experience administering three pooled special needs trusts give us excellent insight into the financial, legal, and personal challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and their families.
We take the time to develop a deep understanding of each beneficiary’s circumstances, priorities, and long-term needs. Informed by this hands-on experience, our California-licensed fiduciaries exercise thoughtful judgment and provide diligent, discreet stewardship of the trusts entrusted to our care—always guided by compassion, professionalism, and the highest fiduciary standards.
Our focus is not just managing assets but supporting and improving the lives with care, respect, and integrity.
To learn more about our private fiduciary services, we invite you to contact us.
Fees
JLA Trust is a fee-for-service nonprofit organization. All of our services, including conservatorship and private trustee services, are provided to the community at low market rates.
Hourly Fees
(billed in one-tenth hourly increments)
| Services | Hourly Rates |
| Administrative Services | $180 |
| Distance Travel Time | $90 |
| Staff | $100 |
Trust Opening Fees
The initial administration of a trust often requires substantial time and expertise, including marshalling assets, establishing accounts, coordinating with financial institutions, and implementing administrative and investment systems designed to support a positive and sustainable beneficiary experience. Accordingly, the trust opening fee is based on the actual time required to complete these tasks and will be billed at the applicable hourly rates set forth above. The total fee will vary depending on the complexity of the trust, the nature and location of assets, and the condition of existing records.
Trust Transfer Fees
A flat fee of $1,500 will be charged in connection with the transfer of an existing trust to JLA Trust. This fee reflects the administrative work required to review trust documents, coordinate with prior fiduciaries or institutions, transfer accounts, and establish the trust under JLA Trust’s administration.
Assets Under Management (AUM) Fees
Ongoing fiduciary administration fees are assessed as follows:
| Estates under $200,000: | Fees will be billed at the hourly rates listed above with a minimum annual fee of $800. |
| Estates between $200,000 and $350,000: | Fees will be billed at the hourly rates listed above with a minimum annual fee of $3,650. |
| Estates between $350,000 and $500,000: | Fees will be billed at the hourly rates listed above with a minimum annual fee of $4,200. |
| Estates over $500,000: | Annual fees will equal 1.0% of the fair market value of the estate, or the total hourly fees incurred during the year, whichever is greater. |
Fair market value is generally determined annually on the anniversary of the funding of the trust and may include cash, investments, and other trust-owned assets.
Outside Professionals
From time to time, it may be necessary to engage qualified outside professionals to properly administer the trust. These may include, but are not limited to, attorneys, certified public accountants (CPAs), care managers, caregivers, and financial advisors.
When engaged, such professionals are compensated at their standard rates, and all related costs are paid directly from the trust or estate. JLA Trust does not receive referral fees or commissions from outside professionals.
JLA Trust is committed to providing fiduciary services that are fair, transparent, and aligned with the best interests of each beneficiary. Fees are structured to reflect the level of care, expertise, and responsibility required for proper trust administration.
Fair market value is generally determined annually and may include cash, investments, and other trust-owned assets.
Minimum annual fees ensure the level of oversight and fiduciary care required for proper trust administration.
Real Property Administration Fee Disclosure
JLA Trust understands that trust-owned real estate, particularly a beneficiary’s residence, may be an important and sensitive asset. Because real property often does not generate income and may reduce the liquidity available for the beneficiary’s needs, JLA Trust does not include the value of real property when calculating its standard trustee fees based upon trust account value.
Instead, JLA Trust charges only for the actual time spent administering trust-owned real property at the hourly rate of $185 per hour. This approach is intended to provide a fairer and more transparent fee structure by ensuring that beneficiaries are not charged percentage-based trustee fees on illiquid or non-income-producing real estate assets. Hourly fees may apply to services including, but not limited to:
• coordinating repairs or maintenance;
• communicating with contractors, insurance carriers, or homeowners associations;
• arranging payment of property expenses;
• supervising clean-outs or inspections;
• handling insurance or utility issues;
• coordinating property sales or transfers; and
• addressing occupancy or safety concerns.
In addition to trustee fees, the trust remains responsible for ordinary property-related expenses such as taxes, insurance, utilities, HOA dues, repairs, legal fees, escrow costs, and realtor commissions.
JLA Trust remains committed to administering trust-owned real property in a reasonable and prudent manner consistent with its fiduciary obligations and the long-term financial well-being of the beneficiary.
Effective January 1, 2026