** Reprinted with permission of the State Bar of California, Trusts and Estates Section, From Volume 21, Issue 4, (2015) of the California Trusts and Estates Quarterly**

INTRODUCTION The majority of contested trust proceedings are resolved before trial, frequently as a result of a successful mediation between the parties. The settlement is often memorialized in a written agreement signed by all fiduciaries, beneficiaries, heirs, and other litigants. With the goal of bringing finality to present disputes and avoiding future ones, the settlement agreement often includes a ...