1050 SW 6th Ave., Suite 1100, Portland OR 97204
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Earning Your Trust Every Day

Claridge Fiduciary Services, LLC is a professional fiduciary firm providing trust administration, estate settlement, and conservator services to families and individuals in Oregon, Washington, and California.

Our Services

We provide responsible financial management delivered with compassion and integrity, ensuring dignity, peace of mind, and financial security for our clients.

The Challenges of Managing Someone Else’s Estate or Financial Affairs

We all live busy lives. Finding extra time to serve as a trustee, executor, or conservator can be overwhelming. Managing or winding up a loved one’s affairs can be time-consuming, emotionally draining and potentially full of personal financial risk.

Putting the Needs of Others First

As a legal representative, you’ll have to put the needs of others before your own for an extended period of time. You will also be required to navigate tasks and responsibilities that include:

Comprehensive Support for Your Fiduciary Needs

Claridge Fiduciary Services, LLC delivers the professional guidance our clients need. Serving as trustee, executor, conservator, or personal representative we provide unbiased expertise while performing the legal obligations necessary to ensure our clients’ wishes are followed precisely. We are professional and respectful, and help by:

Darrell R. Claridge, CFP®

Darrell’s distinguished career in financial services spans over 30 years, with a strong focus on wealth management, estate planning, and fiduciary services for U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and City National Bank. His unique background and experience means he has the ability to understand the challenging world of finance from multiple angles, making him an ideal partner for your fiduciary needs.

Our Services

We provide professional fiduciary services for families and individuals, specializing in trust administration, estate settlement, and acting as a power of attorney or conservator.

Trust Administration

As your Trustee, we are responsible for the administration of your trust. We collect and manage all the assets in the trust, pay bills and taxes, and distribute what remains to the beneficiaries exactly as the trust specifies.

Our job is to be fair to everyone involved – we treat all beneficiaries equally and always put their best interests first. We act as a neutral unbiased party working to ensure everything goes smoothly and everyone is treated fairly.

Types of Trusts

Probate Estate Settlement

As your court-appointed Executor or Personal Representative, we’re here to handle the probate process with care and expertise. Think of probate as the legal journey that happens after someone passes away. It’s how we make sure their final wishes are respected, bills are paid, and their estate is distributed to the right people or charitable organizations.

We’ll work closely with the probate court to handle all the details, from managing the estate to distributing assets to loved ones. Our goal is to make this complex process as smooth and stress-free as possible for your family.

icon: Financial Management in Cases of Incapacity

Financial Management in Case of Incapacity

When someone can no longer manage their own financial affairs due to illness, disability, or cognitive challenges, we step in as a court-appointed Conservator. Our professional expertise and compassionate approach provides protection and management of their financial resources, ensuring their financial well-being and peace of mind. We handle everything from paying bills to making sound financial decisions, always with our client’s best interests in mind.


Icon: Trust Administration

Agent under Power of Attorney
for Financial Matters

As your Agent under a Power of Attorney, we’re here to help with your financial matters when you need it most. This is your way to choose a trusted partner to manage your assets if you can no longer do it yourself. Whether it’s paying bills, managing investments, or handling other financial tasks, we’ll step in and take care of things exactly as you’ve instructed.
icon: Asset and Investment Management Fiduciary Oversight

Asset and Investment Management
Fiduciary Oversight

As your Agent for Trustee, we’re here to help manage your financial assets, real estate, and private investments with care and expertise. Our role is to provide trusted oversight, ensuring that everything is handled responsibly and in your best interest. Whether it’s keeping track of your investments or managing real property, you can count on us to take care of the details so you can focus on what matters most to you.
Icon: Consulting Services

Consulting Services

We offer consulting services to meet a variety of our clients’ needs, drawing on our unique background and expertise. Whether you need advice on growing and protecting your assets or planning for the future, we’ll work closely with you to provide tailored solutions to help you reach your goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

By addressing key concerns and clarifying important terms, this resource will help you to make an informed decision with confidence as you navigate the process of selecting a fiduciary.

What is a Fiduciary?
A fiduciary is a person or entity that has a legal or ethical obligation to act in the best interest of another party. Fiduciaries are legally required to prioritize the interests of their clients over their own.
A trustee is a person or entity that manages a trust for the benefit of the beneficiaries, as outlined in the trust document. A trustee is a fiduciary

In its simplest terms, after a Trustee has accepted their appointment, they must marshal the assets of the trust, pay off any and all liabilities and distribute the assets according to the terms of the trust document.

In reality, anyone who has ever settled an estate or administered a trust for someone else can tell you that it is a lot of work and very time-consuming.

An executor or Personal Representative is a person or institution named in a will to carry out the wishes of the deceased and settle their estate. An executor can also be appointed by the Probate Court as the administrator of a decedent’s estate.

The role of executor can be time-intensive and carries a great deal of responsibility. Executors are personally liable for their actions and can face financial or legal consequences if they perform their duties incorrectly

The executor’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the estate is administered and distributed according to the terms of the will and in compliance with applicable laws.

The executor’s duties include:

  1. Applying for probate
  2. Inventorying and marshaling assets
    Including real estate, vehicles, jewelry, artwork, bank accounts, investment accounts, and retirement accounts.
  3. Notifying creditors
  4. Paying taxes, liabilities and debts
  5. Distributing assets to beneficiaries per the terms of the will

Guardianship responsibilities typically fall into two categories:

  1. Guardianship of the Person: The guardian is responsible for the ward’s personal well-being, including decisions about healthcare, education, and living arrangements.
  2. Guardianship of the Estate (or Property): The guardian manages the ward’s financial matters, such as handling income, paying bills, and safeguarding assets.
    In some cases, one guardian may be appointed for both roles, while in others, different guardians may be assigned for personal and financial responsibilities.
  3. Guardianship is designed to protect the interests of the ward and ensure their needs are met responsibly and ethically.

Types of Power of Attorney:

  • General POA: Grants broad authority to handle financial and legal matters.
  • Specific or Limited POA: Restricts authority to certain tasks or transactions (e.g., selling a property).
  • Durable POA: Remains in effect if the Principal becomes incapacitated.
  • Medical POA (or Healthcare Proxy): Authorizes the Agent to make healthcare decisions on the Principal’s behalf.
  • Springing POA: Becomes effective only upon a specified event, such as the Principal’s incapacitation.


Responsibilities of the Agent:

  • Managing the Principal’s finances (e.g., paying bills, handling investments).
  • Making healthcare decisions (if outlined in the POA).
  • Handling legal matters, such as signing contracts or filing taxes.
  • Acting in the Principal’s best interest and maintaining accurate records.


Scope and Limitations:

  • The Agent’s authority is limited to what the POA document specifies.
  • The Principal can revoke the POA at any time, as long as they are competent.


The Agent must act in good faith and avoid conflicts of interest. An Agent under a POA plays a crucial role in ensuring the Principal’s affairs are handled responsibly, particularly in times of incapacity or unavailability.

Additional Resources

Choosing a fiduciary is an important decision. The following sites provide valuable insights into the qualifications and responsibilities of a fiduciary. They offer information to help ensure that you select someone who aligns with your needs and values while protecting your interests.

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Darrell R. Claridge, CFP®

Darrell’s distinguished career in financial services spans over 30 years, with a strong focus on wealth management, estate planning, and fiduciary services. Darrell holds a Certified Financial Planning® (CFP®) designation, demonstrating his commitment to excellence in financial planning. This prestigious certification equips Darrell with comprehensive knowledge in areas such as investments, retirement planning, insurance, and estate planning.

Throughout his career, Darrell has applied his expertise at renowned institutions including U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and City National Bank. In these roles, he specialized in providing tailored financial solutions for the banks’ most valued clients, leveraging his deep understanding of complex financial matters and fiduciary responsibilities.

Darrell’s also been actively involved in several professional organizations, including serving as the past President of the Tri-Valley Estate Planning Council and the Estate Planning Council of Diablo Valley. Currently, he’s a member of the Estate Planning Council of Portland, the National Guardianship Association, and the Guardian/Conservator Association of Oregon.

Darrell’s unique background and extensive experience equip him to approach the complex world of trust and estate administration from multiple perspectives, making him an excellent choice for your fiduciary needs. In addition to his financial expertise, he is unwavering in his fiduciary commitments, ensuring the estate and its beneficiaries are served with transparency and timely results.

In his personal time, Darrell enjoys cooking, sailing on San Francisco Bay, hiking in the Pacific Northwest and spending time with his wife, Lisa and their two children Emily and Charlie.