A Certification of Trust is a short document that proves the existence of your Living Trust without revealing the Trust's private details. Banks, brokerages, title companies, and other institutions ask for this document (not the full Trust) when you need to act on behalf of your Trust — open an account, transfer property, refinance. Essential if you have a Living Trust. Bilingual.
Anyone with a California Living Trust who needs to deal with banks, title companies, brokerages, or government agencies on behalf of the Trust. The Certification is a "summary" version of the Trust that proves: (1) the Trust exists, (2) who the current Trustee is, (3) what powers the Trustee has — without revealing beneficiary names or distribution rules. This privacy is why this document exists under Probate Code §18100.5.
In California, banks, title companies, and other institutions MUST accept a valid Certification of Trust under §18100.5 — they cannot demand the full Trust. If an institution rejects a valid Certification, it may be liable for costs and damages (§18100.5(g)). This protects the privacy of Trust families while allowing normal transactions. The Certification must be notarized to have full validity.
Privacy. The Trust contains the names of your beneficiaries, how much each one receives, and distribution rules. The Certification proves what the bank needs to know without revealing that personal information.
Yes, under Probate Code §18100.5. If they reject a valid Certification without legitimate reason, they are liable for damages and costs.
No, one Certification can be used many times. You only need a new one if something significant changes: the Trustee, powers, or Trust name.
Yes. The Certification is independent of the Trust — you sign it as Trustee. Our package uses the exact format from Probate Code §18100.5.
Only $99. If you purchase the Living Trust package ($599), the Certification is included at no additional cost.
Multi Servicios 360 is a self-help legal document preparation platform. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.
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