If you sign the release, you won't be signing it under duress. In the law, duress means the use of force (e.g. physically harming you), the threat of using force (threatening to kill or harm you), or some other illegal means to compel you to do or not do something. Simply stonewalling, refusing to answer questions, or do things you request is not duress. All that signing under duress would do, if proven to a court, is get the document you signed invalidated, putting you right back where you are now. It would allow you to get to the trust assets. You'd need to file your own action in court to see the trust to know what you may even be entitled to get and compel distributions from the trust. Most estate planning trusts are revocable living trusts because those provide two distinct advantages: the trust creator can revoke it at any time before they die and make some alternate estate plan instead and (2) it allows the assets in the trust to benefit from the step up in federal tax basis that occurs when the creator of the trust dies. With a married couple, often the trust is set up so that it remains revocable until the last of the two spouses dies. If that's how this trust was set up, your father may revoke it at any time before he dies or becomes legally incompetent. In that's the case, then having an antagonistic relationship with your father may well lead him to revoke the trust and do a new one that leaves you out completely. I suggest before you take any other actions (especially signing the release) or say anything to your father or Ms. Smith that you consult a trust attorney for advice. You need to know exactly where you stand and what options you may have before acting. If you rush to do something before you are fully informed you may well do something that may put you in an even worse position with the trust than you are right now.