What I do
- Successor trustee on revocable and irrevocable trusts — administration, accounting, distributions, and coordination with the family's existing professionals.
- Agent under durable power of attorney — financial management for clients who can no longer manage their own affairs.
- Conservator for adults who can no longer manage their own affairs — conservator of the estate (financial), conservator of the person (personal and health decisions), or both. NCG-credentialed.
- Trust accounting and recordkeeping — formal accountings as required by the California Probate Code.
- Coordination with attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors to keep every part of the estate plan working together.
Fees
Effective January 1, 2026
Professional fiduciary services are tailored to the needs and complexity of each matter. The following schedule reflects customary compensation for services provided and is intended to promote transparency regarding fiduciary administration.
Professional Fiduciary Services
$225 – $275 per hour
Professional fiduciary services may include, but are not limited to:
- Trust administration
- Estate and settlement administration
- Agent services under Power of Attorney
- Financial management and bill payment oversight
- Oversight of investments, insurance, and benefit-related matters
- Coordination with attorneys, CPAs, financial advisors, and medical professionals
- Care coordination and client advocacy
- Oversight of real property, vendors, and household matters
- Review, organization, and maintenance of records and documentation
- Preparation of reports, summaries, and ongoing client support
Support Staff Services
$150 – $175 per hour
Support staff services are performed under fiduciary supervision and may include administrative coordination, document organization, scheduling, communications with service providers, assistance with recordkeeping, and processing routine bill payment and day-to-day household financial administration, including review of recurring expenses for accuracy and appropriateness.
Real Estate Administration Fee
Administration of real property transactions may constitute extraordinary fiduciary services due to the level of coordination, responsibility, and oversight required.
Fiduciary services relating to the sale, purchase, refinance, or disposition of real property may be compensated either at the applicable hourly fiduciary rate or, at the fiduciary's discretion, by a Real Estate Administration Fee of up to one percent (1%) of the gross transaction value of the real property involved.
When applied, the percentage-based fee may be charged in lieu of hourly billing for services associated with the real property transaction, unless otherwise agreed in writing or where approval is required by applicable law.
Billing Practices
- Services are billed in 15-minute increments
- Travel time is billed at the applicable hourly rate
- Services may be delegated to support staff when appropriate
- Fees may vary based on complexity or extraordinary circumstances
- All fiduciary compensation remains subject to applicable agreements and applicable law
This fee schedule is subject to periodic review and modification, and is published in compliance with California Business and Professions Code §6563.
How I work with financial advisors and CPAs
When a client of a financial advisor or wealth manager ages into needing fiduciary services, the standard pattern is for the assets to migrate — to a bank trustee, to a fiduciary with their own custodian, or out of the advisory relationship altogether. That outcome is rarely what the client would have chosen.
I commit not to move client assets. When you refer a client, the AUM stays with you, the family relationship stays with you, and I administer the fiduciary side from where the assets already live. My fees come from the fiduciary work; yours stay where they always have.
A short reference for the FA / fiduciary handoff is available here.
For CPAs handling Form 1041 work or trust accounting questions, the same principle applies — I coordinate with you on the data, the accountings, and the tax interface, without duplicating or interfering with your role.
Background
Zachary C. Alexander, CLPF #1597, MBA, NCG, is a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary based in Napa. He holds the National Certified Guardian (NCG) credential from the Center for Guardianship Certification and an MBA. Before establishing Napa Valley Fiduciary, he spent a year and a half working in-house under an established California fiduciary, gaining direct experience with trust administration, conservatorship matters, and complex family dynamics. He is also founder of Laurel Tree Prep Publishing, which publishes a study guide for the California Professional Fiduciary licensure exam — available at CAFiduciaryPrep.com and on Amazon.
Get in touch
If you, a family member, or a client may need a fiduciary, I am happy to talk through the situation and tell you honestly whether I am the right fit. There is no charge for an initial conversation.
Serving Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and the broader Redwood Empire region.