Resources and Collaboration
for Allied Professionals
in Fiduciary Practice
From the national platform for fiduciary training, standards, and professional development.
Supporting the Professionals Who Work Alongside Fiduciaries
Professional fiduciaries do not work in isolation.
Every guardianship, conservatorship, trust administration, and estate matter involves a network of professionals: attorneys who petition the court, social workers who identify the need, care managers who coordinate services, financial advisors who manage assets, and healthcare providers who inform decisions about capacity and care.
The quality of outcomes for vulnerable individuals depends on how well these professionals understand each other's roles, communicate across disciplines, and collaborate within clear boundaries.
The Fiduciary Institute is building the national standard for professional fiduciary training, practice systems, and credentialing. The resources on this page extend that work to the allied professionals who refer to, evaluate, and collaborate with fiduciaries. They reflect the same standards of structured, accountable practice that we apply to our own training and professional development programs.
All resources are free and available for immediate download.
Practice Resources by Profession
Guides, checklists, and collaboration tools organized by discipline. Each section addresses the specific context in which your profession intersects with professional fiduciary practice.
For Attorneys
Attorneys are often the first professionals to identify the need for a fiduciary appointment, whether through estate planning, guardianship petitions, or trust administration. The collaboration between attorney and fiduciary begins before the appointment and continues throughout the engagement. These resources address the referral decision, the working relationship, and the evaluation process from the attorney's perspective.
Resources:
Working With Professional Fiduciaries: A Guide for Attorneys
How the attorney-fiduciary collaboration works across the lifecycle of an appointment, from initial referral through ongoing case management. Covers role delineation, communication expectations, court reporting, compensation, and the questions attorneys most frequently ask when recommending or working alongside a professional fiduciary. Download PDF
When a Client May Need a Professional Fiduciary: A Referral Guide for Attorneys
A concise decision-support checklist for recognizing when a professional fiduciary appointment may serve a client's interests. Covers common referral situations, a quick-reference overview of fiduciary roles from the attorney's perspective, and suggested next steps. Download PDF
How to Evaluate a Professional Fiduciary
A structured checklist for assessing a professional fiduciary across seven areas: authority and role alignment, credentials, experience, practice systems, ethics, communication, and capacity. Includes suggested questions for each area. Applicable across all allied professional roles. Download PDF
For Financial Advisors and CPAs
Financial advisors and CPAs encounter fiduciary involvement most often in conservatorship, trust administration, and estate settlement - situations where a professional fiduciary holds legal authority over assets the financial professional manages. The collaboration requires clear role boundaries, documented authorization, and proactive communication. These resources address the working relationship, the referral indicators financial professionals are most likely to observe, and the evaluation process.
Resources:
Working With Professional Fiduciaries: A Guide for Financial Advisors and CPAs
How professional fiduciaries and financial professionals collaborate in conservatorship, trust administration, and estate settlement contexts. Covers role boundaries, such as who directs and who advises, communication and reporting expectations, authorization documentation, and how to protect both the client and the professional relationship. Download PDF
When Your Client May Need a Professional Fiduciary: A Guide for Financial Advisors and CPAs
A referral-awareness checklist organized around the financial and behavioral indicators financial professionals are most likely to observe: uncharacteristic financial decisions, vulnerability to exploitation, mismanaged benefits or tax filings, and the absence of appropriate legal authority. Includes guidance on what financial professionals should and should not do when they recognize these patterns. Download PDF
How to Evaluate a Professional Fiduciary
A structured checklist for assessing a professional fiduciary across seven areas: authority and role alignment, credentials, experience, practice systems, ethics, communication, and capacity. Includes suggested questions for each area. Applicable across all allied professional roles. Download PDF
For Care Managers
Care managers work closely with professional fiduciaries in some of the most complex client situations: cases involving cognitive decline, family conflict, and the intersection of medical, financial, and legal decision-making. The care manager's clinical observations, service coordination, and ongoing client contact make them a critical partner to the fiduciary. These resources address collaboration, referral recognition, and evaluation.
Resources:
Professional Fiduciary Roles Overview
A concise overview of what professional fiduciaries do, the types of clients they support, and the six primary fiduciary roles. Clarifies the distinction between professional fiduciaries and financial fiduciaries and provides a foundation for informed referrals and effective collaboration. Download PDF
When Additional Support May Be Needed: A Practical Checklist
A categorized checklist covering daily life and decision-making, financial and administrative concerns, health and safety, legal and estate issues, and family dynamics. Helps care managers identify situations where a guardian, conservator, or other fiduciary role may be appropriate, without assessing legal capacity or providing legal advice. Download PDF
How to Evaluate a Professional Fiduciary
A structured checklist for assessing a professional fiduciary across seven areas: authority and role alignment, credentials, experience, practice systems, ethics, communication, and capacity. Includes suggested questions for each area. Applicable across all allied professional roles. Download PDF
For All Allied Professionals
Professional fiduciaries collaborate with a wide range of professionals beyond the disciplines listed above: social workers, professional organizers, daily money managers, healthcare providers, court staff, and others. If your work puts you in contact with clients who may need formal decision-making authority, oversight, or protection, these resources provide a practical foundation for understanding the fiduciary role, recognizing when involvement may be appropriate, and evaluating fiduciary professionals.
Resources:
Professional Fiduciary Roles Overview
A concise overview of what professional fiduciaries do, the types of clients they support, and the six primary fiduciary roles. Clarifies the distinction between professional fiduciaries and financial fiduciaries and provides a foundation for informed referrals. Download PDF
Supporting Clients When Additional Help May Be Needed
A step-by-step guide for allied professionals who observe signs that a client's needs may exceed their current support structure. Covers how to observe and document concerns, communicate with clients and families using neutral and supportive language, encourage exploration of professional support, and maintain clear role boundaries. Download PDF
When Additional Support May Be Needed: A Practical Checklist
A categorized checklist organized by area of concern: daily life and decision-making, financial and administrative concerns, health and safety, legal and estate issues, and family dynamics. Helps identify situations where a professional fiduciary may be appropriate. Download PDF
How to Evaluate a Professional Fiduciary
A structured checklist for assessing a professional fiduciary across seven areas: authority and role alignment, credentials, experience, practice systems, ethics, communication, and capacity. Includes suggested questions for each area. Download PDF
Professional Education
and Speaking Engagements
The Fiduciary Institute presents to allied professional groups on topics related to fiduciary roles, inter-professional collaboration, client protection, and professional boundaries. All presentations are developed from active fiduciary practice and reflect the professional standards at the core of the Institute's training and education programs.
Sessions are led by Junel Unrein, NCG, founder of The Fiduciary Institute and an active professional fiduciary and National Certified Guardian. Junel brings over two decades of experience in organizational development and financial services to her fiduciary practice, and presents from the intersection of that professional background and direct, current fiduciary work.
Speaking Topics Include:
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Professional Fiduciaries Explained: What fiduciaries do, how they differ from financial fiduciaries, and when a client may benefit from fiduciary involvement
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Working Effectively With Professional Fiduciaries: Role clarity, communication strategies, and collaboration frameworks for shared cases
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Recognizing When a Client Needs Fiduciary Support: Practical indicators and ethical considerations for referral
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Protecting Clients and Protecting Yourself: Professional boundaries, documentation, and ethical risk reduction when working with vulnerable populations
Custom Topics:
Have a specific topic or audience need? Include it in your request and we will develop a session tailored to your group.
Past Presentations:
Recent presentations include sessions for the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), PNW Association of Daily Money Managers, and care manager teams in private practice.
Collaboration and Partnership Inquiries
The Fiduciary Institute welcomes conversations with organizations, associations, and professionals interested in collaboration, whether that involves co-presenting at events, developing resources for your membership, or exploring other partnership opportunities.
For speaking engagements, use the request form above. For broader partnership conversations, contact us directly at info@thefiduciaryinstitute.com.
For essays and thought leadership on fiduciary practice, visit Fiduciary Insights™.