Senior Trust & Estate Relationship Manager

First American; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 149,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401k

PTO/paid sick leave

Employee stock purchase plan

Job summary

First American seeks a seasoned Relationship Manager, Trust Counsel to serve as a trusted legal advisor on trust and estate matters for high-net-worth individuals and families. You will work with trustees, beneficiaries, and internal partners to guide fiduciary decisions and regulatory compliance.

You will review estate planning documents, coordinate with wealth advisory teams, and help mitigate fiduciary risks while delivering exceptional client service and fiduciary solutions.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience practicing trust and estate law, estate planning, probate, trust administration, estate settlement, fiduciary services, or a related legal field.
• Experience advising trustees, beneficiaries, executors, conservators, and other fiduciaries on trust and estate matters.
• Strong knowledge of trust administration, fiduciary principles, estate planning strategies, wealth transfer planning, and estate settlement processes.
• Excellent communication, judgment, analytical, and problem‑solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to high-net-worth individuals, families, fiduciaries, and internal business partners on trust and estate matters.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, trustees, beneficiaries, financial advisors, tax professionals, and other key stakeholders.
• Provide legal guidance on trust administration, fiduciary responsibilities, estate settlement, wealth transfer strategies, and regulatory compliance.
• Review, interpret, and advise on trust agreements, wills, powers of attorney, estate planning documents, and related legal instruments.
• Counsel clients and fiduciaries regarding trust administration matters, beneficiary issues, account distributions, and fiduciary decision‑making.

Skills

Communication

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

First American seeks a seasoned Relationship Manager, Trust Counsel to serve as a trusted legal advisor on trust and estate matters for high-net-worth individuals and families. You will work with trustees, beneficiaries, and internal partners to guide fiduciary decisions and regulatory compliance.

You will review estate planning documents, coordinate with wealth advisory teams, and help mitigate fiduciary risks while delivering exceptional client service and fiduciary solutions.