About Heritage Fiduciary
OUR MISSION
Heritage Business & Fiduciary Services provides sound, trustworthy stewardship over the personal and financial affairs of our clients. We are passionate about providing honest, professional assistance to our clients, always with integrity, compassion, respect, confidentiality, and reliable judgment.
SCOTT C. TOLSTAD
Scott Tolstad, a native Southern Californian, has over thirty years of business and legal experience. Scott graduated from the University of Southern California, summa cum laude, and he obtained his law degree from Boston University. He became a Member of the California Bar Association in 1982, and has worked in the San Diego County area for the past twenty years.
Scott worked as a general legal counsel for two San Diego companies for eighteen years. Prior to that, he owned and managed a retail business for ten years.
Mr. Tolstad had worked for the Escondido Police Dept for 20 years retiring in 2021 as a Financial Crimes Investigator. During this time, he was assigned to the Detective Bureau Financial Crimes Unit, where he investigated monetary crimes, many of which involve criminal breaches of fiduciary duty. Financial crimes include embezzlement, identity theft, credit card fraud, and various confidence schemes. Scott has been certified by the California Financial Crimes Investigators Association as a Fraud Investigator.
Scott has direct experience acting as a fiduciary and he exemplifies the highest standards of ethics and honesty. Clients can be assured that entrusting the stewardship of their personal and financial care to Heritage will be one of the best decisions an individual can make.
ANDREA K. SHOUP
Andrea K. Shoup is a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary and an experienced estate planning attorney who has dedicated her career to helping families protect what matters most.
For years, Andrea has worked closely with individuals and families through estate planning, trust administration, probate, and some of life's most difficult transitions. Throughout that work, she saw the same need arise again and again: families needed someone they could trust not simply to advise them, but to step in and handle the responsibility of administration.
Clients frequently asked Andrea whether she could serve as their trustee, executor, agent, or other fiduciary. Sometimes they did not have a family member who was well-suited for the role. Other times, they had loving and capable family members but did not want to place the administrative burden on them - or risk creating tension among the people they cared about most.
Those experiences ultimately led Andrea to become a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary and to serve clients through Heritage Fiduciary Services.
Andrea believes that when someone becomes incapacitated or passes away, their family should have the opportunity to focus on being a family - not on managing accounts, interpreting legal documents, communicating with beneficiaries, coordinating professionals, handling property, maintaining records, making tax decisions or navigating the many other responsibilities that can come with administering an estate or trust.
A professional fiduciary can shoulder that responsibility.
Andrea approaches each fiduciary appointment with the same philosophy that has guided her throughout her legal career: serve with integrity, communicate clearly, pay attention to the details, and get the job done. She understands that clients who appoint a professional fiduciary are placing an extraordinary amount of trust in that person. She takes that responsibility seriously.
Her goal is to administer each matter professionally, correctly, and efficiently while honoring the wishes and values of the person who entrusted her with the responsibility. Just as importantly, Andrea strives to provide families with confidence that someone experienced is managing the details, addressing problems as they arise, and moving the administration forward.
Andrea is certified by the California State Bar as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and graduated Magna Cum Laude from California Western School of Law.
Through Heritage Fiduciary Services, Andrea is proud to serve individuals and families in a new capacity - as the trusted professional they can turn to when they want their affairs handled with experience, compassion, accountability, and care.
Andrea lives in Murrieta, California with her husband, David, and their four children.
CHRISTINA ORIGEL
Christina Origel is a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary dedicated to helping individuals and families navigate life's most important transitions with confidence, clarity, and peace of mind. With nearly a decade of experience in estate planning and trust administration, she brings a unique combination of fiduciary expertise, practical administration experience, and compassionate guidance to every client she serves.
Throughout her career, Christina has assisted thousands of families with their estate planning needs, helping them create personalized plans, properly fund their trusts, protect their assets, and avoid unnecessary court involvement. Her extensive experience working alongside families has given her a deep understanding of both the technical and personal considerations involved in preserving wealth, honoring wishes, and creating lasting legacies.
Christina's professional experience includes trust administration with Farmers & Merchants Trust Company, where she worked alongside professional trustees in the administration of trusts and estates. Her responsibilities included asset management and transfers, beneficiary communications, trust accountings, real estate transactions, trust funding issues, incapacity administration, management of tangible personal property, and the administration of distributions in accordance with trust terms and fiduciary obligations.
Christina also serves as Operations Director for a premier California estate planning law firm, where she helps oversee client services, operational strategy, legal workflow, and the delivery of estate planning solutions. Working closely with attorneys, financial professionals, and families has provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the entire estate planning and trust administration process, from the initial planning stages through final trust distribution.
Through Heritage Fiduciary Services, Christina provides professional fiduciary services for families or individuals without an appropriate family member to serve, and clients with complex estate and asset structures. She understands that serving as a trustee, agent, or fiduciary often requires navigating legal responsibilities, financial oversight, administrative obligations, and sensitive family dynamics simultaneously. Her goal is to provide a trusted, neutral presence that allows families to focus on their loved ones while ensuring that the administration is handled properly, transparently, and in accordance with the client's wishes.
A graduate of Sonoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, Christina's career has always centered on helping people through significant life transitions. Her background in counseling, trust administration, estate planning, and fiduciary services has shaped a professional approach grounded in compassion, integrity, accountability, and service. At Heritage Fiduciary Services, her mission is simple: to provide trusted guidance, preserve family harmony, and ensure every client's legacy is honored with integrity and respect.
Christina resides in Murrieta, California, with her husband Ryan, and their children. Her oldest daughter proudly serves in the United States Air Force, a source of great pride for their family.