Trustee Not Communicating? Here’s How to Legally Demand Action in Nevada

When your trustee stops responding to your calls, refuses to provide account statements, or ignores your requests for information about the trust, you’re not powerless. Under Nevada law, trustees have strict legal duties to communicate with beneficiaries, and you have rights to insist on transparency.

If you’re a beneficiary and your trustee won’t talk to you, Nevada law gives you ways to make the trustee respond. You can ask for trust documents, demand financial reports, and even take the trustee to court if needed. The law protects you, but you need to know how to use it.

When trustees won’t communicate with beneficiaries, it’s not just annoying – it’s usually against the law. Nevada courts care about holding trustees accountable, and the court can remove trustees who don’t do their job. It doesn’t matter if your trustee is a family member, a bank, or a professional; they all have to follow the same rules.

At Lee Kiefer & Park in Las Vegas, we help Nevada beneficiaries hold unresponsive trustees accountable. If your trustee won’t communicate, it’s time to take legal action. Contact our Las Vegas probate and trust administration lawyers today at 702-333-1711.

Your Legal Rights as a Nevada Trust Beneficiary

Nevada law gives certain beneficiaries clear rights when it comes to trust information. If you are such a beneficiary, your trustee cannot legally ignore you or refuse to provide basic information about the trust.

Right to Trust Documents

Nevada trust and estate laws specifically state that certain beneficiaries have a right to receive an account of the financial matters pertaining to the trust and a copy of the trust provisions relevant to the beneficiary’s interest in the trust.

If your trustee refuses to provide this information to a beneficiary who is entitled under the trust or under Nevada law, the trustee is not complying with Nevada law.

Right to Financial Information

Nevada law says trustees must give certain beneficiaries financial information pertaining to the trust. If you are a beneficiary with rights to an accounting, you can legally ask for:

• Annual financial reports
• Records of money coming in and going out of the trust
• An inventory of the trust assets (i.e., what the trust owns)
• Information about distributions made from the trust to beneficiaries

Right to Know About Changes

Your trustee must also inform certain beneficiaries about significant changes to the trust, including:

• Changes in the trustee
• Major changes to investments pertaining to the trust (often communicated in the form of an accounting, as described above)
• Court proceedings involving the trust

What Nevada Law Requires from Trustees

Trustees in Nevada have three main legal duties they cannot ignore.

1. Trustees must communicate with beneficiaries: First, they must communicate with beneficiaries by responding to reasonable requests for information, providing annual reports, notifying certain beneficiaries about important trust matters, and being available to answer questions about the trust.
2. Trustees must keep an account: Second, trustees have a duty to account, which means providing certain entitled beneficiaries with detailed annual reports showing trust assets and values, income received, expenses and fees paid, distributions made to beneficiaries, and any investment gains or losses.
3. Trustees must be loyal: Finally, trustees must follow a duty of loyalty, always acting in the best interest of the beneficiaries rather than their own. This means making decisions based on what’s best for beneficiaries, avoiding conflicts of interest, never using trust assets for personal benefit, and being completely honest about all trust activities.

Why Do Some Trustees Stop Communicating?

Trustees stop communicating for different reasons, but none of them excuse their legal duties under Nevada law. Some trustees feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities and hope that avoiding beneficiaries will make problems go away. Others may be hiding financial mistakes, poor investment decisions, or even theft from the trust. Family trustees sometimes let personal relationships interfere with their legal obligations, while professional trustees may simply be disorganized or understaffed.

Many unresponsive trustees also misunderstand their role. They might think the trust document gives them complete control over information sharing, or they may believe they can decide what beneficiaries need to know. Some claim they’re too busy to handle trustee duties properly, while others hide behind claims that trust information must stay confidential.

The reality is that Nevada law requires communication with certain beneficiaries regardless of these excuses. Trustees who accept the role must follow all legal requirements or face serious consequences, including removal and financial consequences.

Step-by-Step Guide to Demanding Action

When your trustee won’t communicate, there are steps you can take to protect your rights under Nevada state law. The best step you can take is to contact an attorney who can handle the legal process for you. Your attorney will know how to demand action and hold trustees accountable for their actions.

Step 1: Send a Written Demand

Your attorney will often start by sending your trustee a formal written demand, including:

• Your full name and relationship to the trust
• Specific information you’re requesting
• Reference to the applicable Nevada law
• A reasonable deadline for response
• A statement that failure to respond may result in court action

Step 2: Document Everything

To aid your attorney in the process, you should keep detailed records of:

• All attempts to contact the trustee
• Dates and methods of communication
• Any responses received
• Requests that were ignored
• Problems caused by a lack of communication

This documentation will be crucial if you need to go to court.

Step 3: File a Petition with the Court

If your trustee still won’t communicate after your written demand, your attorney can petition the Nevada court to compel action. The court can:

• Order the trustee to provide information
• Require regular accounting reports
• Impose deadlines for trustee responses
• Award attorney fees against the trustee
• Remove the trustee if the trustee continues to violate duties

Call Our Las Vegas Trust Administration Lawyers Today

If your trustee won’t communicate, you need legal help to protect your rights. Nevada law gives you powerful tools to compel trustee compliance, but you need an attorney who knows how to use them.

At Lee Kiefer & Park, we help Nevada beneficiaries hold trustees accountable. Our Las Vegas trust administration attorneys understand the frustration of dealing with an unresponsive trustee, and we know how to get results.

Located at 1140 N Town Center Drive, Suite 200, Las Vegas, NV 89144, we serve clients throughout Nevada. Call us at 702-333-1711 for a consultation about your trustee communication problem, or fill out our contact form.

Don’t let an unresponsive trustee violate your rights. Nevada law protects beneficiaries, and we’ll make sure your trustee follows it.

Kennedy Lee

Attorney Kennedy Lee practices in all aspects of trust and estate law. He views all legal issues from multiple angles (e.g. from litigation to administration point of view) to provide a higher quality of service to our client.