How Technology Is Transforming Trust Administration in Florida

Digital platforms have become the backbone of modern trust administration in Florida.

The world of trust administration is undergoing a dramatic transformation, driven by rapid advances in technology. For Florida families and fiduciaries, this digital evolution means greater efficiency, transparency, and security in managing estates and administering trusts.

From artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to secure digital platforms and new state laws, technology is reshaping every aspect of trust administration. Here’s how these changes are impacting Florida in 2025.

1. Artificial Intelligence and Automation: Streamlining Every Step

AI and automation are revolutionizing the way trusts are managed. Modern AI tools can draft and review documents with remarkable accuracy, check for compliance with Florida’s specific legal requirements, and even summarize and organize complex trust provisions. AI also helps trustees and professional fiduciaries make investment decisions, generate required notices, and create detailed accountings with unprecedented speed and precision.¹

For Florida families and fiduciaries, this digital evolution means greater efficiency, transparency, and security in managing estates and administering trusts.

Automation platforms now handle many of the repetitive and time-consuming tasks that once required hours of manual oversight. These systems can manage payments, fiduciary accounting, investment tracking, and beneficiary communications—all while maintaining a clear audit trail for compliance. As a result, trustees can focus more on strategic decisions and beneficiary engagement, while reducing the risk of human error.²

2. Digital Platforms: Centralizing Trust Management

Digital platforms have become the backbone of modern trust administration in Florida. By centralizing all trust management processes, these platforms allow trustees to:

• Reduce paperwork and administrative burden

• Collaborate securely with beneficiaries and advisors

• Maintain real-time records and reporting

• Ensure compliance with Florida’s evolving trust laws

Electronic signatures, secure document storage, and encrypted communication tools make it easier than ever to manage trusts remotely and efficiently.³

3. Enhanced Transparency and Beneficiary Engagement

Today’s beneficiaries expect on-demand access to information and seamless communication with their trustees. Technology delivers on this expectation by providing real-time financial insights, transparent reporting, and secure portals for document sharing and messaging. This increased transparency helps build trust, reduces the potential for disputes, and keeps all parties informed throughout the administration process.⁴

4. Security and Risk Management

The shift to digital trust administration brings new security challenges, but also powerful solutions. Advanced cybersecurity protocols, encryption, and secure cloud storage protect sensitive financial information from unauthorized access or cyber threats. Automation platforms also help ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of costly mistakes or legal challenges.⁵

The shift to digital trust administration brings new security challenges, but also powerful solutions.

5. Adapting to New Florida Laws: Flexibility and Compliance

In 2025, Florida adopted the Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act (FIPA), providing trustees with more flexibility and clearer statutory guidance for long-term trust administration.⁶

FIPA allows fiduciaries to tailor trust management to evolving family needs and changing circumstances, while digital tools make it easier to implement and document these discretionary decisions.

With these changes, Florida has become an even more attractive destination for establishing and administering trusts, especially those spanning multiple generations.⁶

6. The Future: Blockchain, AI, and Beyond

Emerging technologies such as blockchain are poised to further enhance security, transparency, and efficiency in trust administration. Blockchain’s immutable ledger can provide a permanent, tamper-proof record of all trust transactions, while AI continues to improve document analysis, risk assessment, and compliance monitoring.¹

Conclusion

Technology is fundamentally transforming trust administration in Florida, delivering unprecedented benefits in efficiency, transparency, security, and compliance. From AI-driven document drafting to secure digital platforms and new state laws, trustees and families now have access to tools that make managing even the most complex estates simpler and more reliable than ever before.

As this digital transformation continues, working with a professional trustee group that embraces and understands these technologies provides a strong advantage for maximizing the benefits and ensuring your legacy is protected for generations to come.

Sources

1. ACTEC Foundation – AI in Trust & Estate Law

2. Simple – Modernizing Fiduciary Services Through Technology

3. Florida Bar Journal – Florida Adopts Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act

4. American Bar Association – Digital Estate Planning Trends

5. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – Cybersecurity for Financial Services

6. Florida Senate – SB 262 Bill Analysis (2025)

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Heather Maltby, Esq. and Jennifer Akin, Esq. of Coastal Trustee Group, LLC, of St. Augustine, Florida, providing lifetime, at-need, and multi-generational professional trustee services.

Coastal Trustee Group LLC (CTG) is an independent, boutique trustee firm dedicated to serving families in Northeast Florida and the Fun Coast with integrity, objectivity, and care. Founded by attorneys Jennifer Akin and Heather Maltby— both trusted names in St. Augustine estate law— CTG was created to provide a better solution for families who want professional, impartial trust administration without the conflicts or burdens that can arise when appointing an individual trustee. For a consultation, request a consultation online or call (904) 827-7777.

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