Derek Haake is an estate planning and estate settlement attorney dedicated to helping families protect what they have built and navigate what happens when life takes an unexpected turn. His practice focuses on creating thoughtful, legally sound estate plans and guiding families through the often-complex process of settling estates and administering trusts after a death. He works closely with clients to ensure their wishes are honored, their loved ones are protected, and unnecessary court involvement, delays, and expenses are avoided.
Before founding TrustFully, Derek served as an Estate Settlement Officer and corporate trustee with Bank of America, where he was responsible for administering and settling estates across the United States. In that role, he handled taxable and non-taxable estates, coordinated asset transfers, worked with the IRS and financial institutions, and managed complex holdings including real estate, business interests, oil and gas leases, and investment portfolios. This experience gives him a rare, insider’s understanding of how estates are actually handled behind the scenes — not just how they are supposed to work on paper.
In addition to his work as a corporate fiduciary, Derek has spent years representing families and fiduciaries in private estate and trust administrations, helping them resolve disputes, navigate probate, and move assets to the next generation as efficiently and smoothly as possible. He brings both legal precision and practical judgment to situations that are often emotional and high-stakes.
Before entering the legal profession, Derek was a technology founder and entrepreneur, building and scaling businesses in fast-moving, high-growth environments. That background gives him a unique perspective on business planning, ownership succession, and protecting closely held companies through thoughtful estate and trust design. He understands that for many families, a business is not just an asset — it is their livelihood and their legacy.
TrustFully was created to combine Derek’s deep experience in estate settlement with modern technology and a client-first approach. The goal is simple: to make high-quality estate planning accessible, efficient, and tailored to real families and real lives — without the friction, intimidation, or outdated processes that so often keep people from getting protected.