A Heart for Families
When a family loses a loved one, the process of grieving can be a long and difficult one. There are also numerous details that need to be addressed when it comes to taking care of the deceased person’s belongings, outstanding bills, final tax returns, and figuring out what work needs to be done to settle their estate. As the lead Trust Administration attorney for our firm, Srushti Shah Chauhan is ready to help guide families through the process of administering the loved one’s estate, and to provide them with the understanding and support they need during such a difficult time.
Srushti has a keen interest in this area of the law, and a heart for it as well. Born in India and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, she began thinking about becoming a lawyer in her teens. “During law school, I really enjoyed my courses in trusts and estates. It is a field that would allow me to help people in the moment, and to assist them in planning their futures and benefiting the next generation,” Srushti says. After working briefly at personal injury and immigration law firms, she joined Litherland, Kennedy & Associates in 2022.
“I work with Trustees to help them administer the living trusts that their loved ones thoughtfully set up,” Srushti says. She helps trust administration clients understand the steps needed to administer a trust like gathering information about assets and debts, and discusses necessary actions to meet legal deadlines, pay final expenses, and pass on assets to the heirs. “I often work with the children of decedents because they are often named as trustees. I enjoy seeing the interactions among the family members and helping them communicate.”
In addition to supporting clients and their families, Srushti is organizing a special family event of her own. “I was recently legally married, and my husband Prajan and I are planning a three-day destination wedding celebration for our friends and family in Mexico this summer,” she says.
Just as she does at our law firm, Srushti will be strengthening family ties across generations. “We are both the oldest children in our families, and we wanted to honor our parents’ wishes that we carry out all the religious and cultural activities associated with a traditional Indian wedding,” Srushti notes. Soon after their wedding ceremony and celebration on the third day, Srushti will be back at work, helping other families.
