How it works
Administrative trusteeship, stated plainly.
A directed trust divides responsibility among named parties. The value of an administrative trustee is that the division is explicit, documented, and durable.
Every element below describes a proposed service model that would be offered only following regulatory authorization.
Division of responsibility
Who does what—and who decides who does what.
The instrument governs. This table describes the arrangement our proposed model is designed around, not a rule that applies to every trust.
Trust accounting and recordkeeping
Opes (proposed)
Statutory and regulatory administration
Opes (proposed)
Custody arrangements
Existing custodian or as directed
Investment selection and management
RIA or investment director
Discretionary distributions
Distribution director, committee, or trustee per instrument
Legal advice and drafting
Family's attorney
Tax planning and return preparation
Family's CPA or tax advisor
Governance and family decisions
Family, protector, and committees
Proposed administrative trustee
Opes
Fiduciary administration, recordkeeping, and institutional continuity
Estate-planning attorney
Drafts the instrument. Continues to advise the family on legal matters.
RIA or investment director
May continue to manage or direct the investment of trust assets.
Distribution director or committee
May retain discretionary distribution authority under the instrument.
CPA or tax advisor
Continues tax planning, reporting positions, and return preparation.
Family members and beneficiaries
Receive reporting, submit requests, and participate in governance.
Division of responsibility
Who holds which authority depends entirely on the trust instrument and applicable law. This diagram is illustrative.
The process
From introduction to ongoing administration.
Step 01
Introduction
A partner brings a structure, anonymized or named, at whatever stage it exists. We discuss what the family holds, who advises them, and what the instrument does or should say.
Step 02
Preliminary review
We assess administrability against published acceptance standards: asset categories, entity structures, jurisdictions, valuation, liquidity, and governance.
Step 03
Drafting coordination
Counsel drafts. We coordinate on appointment mechanics, directed provisions, and administrative requirements without providing legal advice.
Step 04
Formal acceptance
Acceptance of an appointment would follow documented fiduciary review under our proposed policies, and would only be possible following regulatory authorization.
Step 05
Funding and onboarding
Assets, entities, documents, and advisor appointments are recorded. The responsibility map for the trust is established and published to the parties.
Step 06
Ongoing administration
Reporting, capital calls, distributions, tax coordination, governance support, and a permanent decision record — with visibility for the family and its advisors.
Illustrative product concept
The administrative layer, made visible.
A hypothetical family — the Carters — with three trusts, a founder-stock position, two venture-fund interests, a family LLC, four beneficiaries, an outside RIA, an attorney, and a CPA.
Family structure map
The Carter Family
Carter 2019 Irrevocable Trust
Non-grantor · Nevada
- Founder common stock — Northline Systems
- Cash reserve
2 beneficiaries
Carter Descendants' Trust
Dynasty · Nevada
- Meridian Ventures IV, L.P.
- Harborline Growth II, L.P.
4 beneficiaries
Carter Family Legacy Trust
Grantor · Nevada
- Carter Holdings LLC (family real estate)
- Marketable securities
3 beneficiaries
Trust summary
Carter Descendants' Trust
Situs
Nevada
Structure
Directed
Funded
Illustrative
Perpetuities
365 years
Meridian Ventures IV, L.P.
Unfunded commitment tracked
Committed
Harborline Growth II, L.P.
Capital call window open
Committed
Liquidity reserve
Held for scheduled calls
Reserved
Fiduciary responsibility map
Carter Descendants' Trust
Asset inventory
All Carter Family trusts
Northline Systems — common stock
Founder position · QSBS tracked
Private
Meridian Ventures IV, L.P.
Capital calls · K-1
Fund
Harborline Growth II, L.P.
Capital calls · K-1
Fund
Carter Holdings LLC
Family real estate · 3 properties
Entity
Marketable securities
Managed by Aldergate Capital
Directed
Valuations, balances, and figures are omitted from this concept intentionally.
Upcoming actions
Next 90 days · illustrative
Capital call — Harborline Growth II
Funding coordination
K-1 collection — Meridian Ventures IV
Deliver to CPA
Annual trust review
With attorney and RIA
409A valuation refresh — Northline
Recordkeeping
Beneficiary statement cycle
Quarterly reporting
Distribution request
Beneficiary — E. Carter
Education distribution request
Submitted by beneficiary · routed to distribution committee
- 1Request submittedComplete
- 2Administrative review — OpesComplete
- 3Committee deliberationIn review
- 4Determination recordedPending
- 5Beneficiary notifiedPending
Document vault
Permanent fiduciary record
Trust instrument — Descendants' Trust
Rowan & Fenwick LLP
Executed
Meridian IV subscription package
Includes side letter
Filed
Carter Holdings LLC operating agreement
Amended and restated
Filed
Investment direction appointment
Aldergate Capital
Filed
Committee consents
Distribution committee
Filed
Decision history
Immutable record · illustrative
Distribution — health expense
Committee approved · rationale recorded
Acceptance of Harborline interest
Reviewed against acceptance standards
Successor investment director
Appointment documented
Annual administrative review
No changes to structure
Dates are omitted. This concept illustrates the intended structure of the record, not a live system.
All screens, families, entities, and events shown are hypothetical illustrations of a proposed product concept. No system described is currently in operation. Opes is not chartered and cannot presently act as trustee.