Articles Posted in Trust formation and amendment

WHY DID THE TRUSTEE PAY ALL THAT MONEY TO HIMSELF?

WHAT ARE TRUSTEE FEES?

A trust is typically established by a document known as a declaration of trust will which is a document with instructions for how the trust assets are to be handled. The declaration of trust also identifies the trust creators, known as trustors, the beneficiaries who will be receiving money and benefits out of the trust and the trustee. The trustee is the person or institution responsible for administering the trust, writing the checks, paying the bills, etc. The trustees fees are what is paid to the trustee for doing the work of administering the trust.

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A Trust Can Be Set Aside and Disregarded if a Court Finds that a Trust Maker Lacked Capacity

PRESUMPTION OF CAPACITY

California law presumes that everyone has the mental capacity to make a trust.  Thus, if someone challenges a trust in court for lack of mental capacity it is up to the challenger to prove lack of capacity with sufficient evidence.

How did that kid get so much money to blow!

18 is the age of majority

When a child turns 18 years he or she is considered to be an adult under California law. In legal terms, children under age 18 are called “minors” and when they reach age 18 they are called “adults”. Minors and adults are treated differently as far as inheritance rights are concerned. Minors still have rights to inherit but any inheritance which comes to them is subject to certain legal controls because the law presumes that minors are not capable of handling money or property as well as adults.

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My Sister is the Trustee and She Refuses to Pay My Share

Trust terminology basics

A trust is created by a written document known as a declaration of trust, and is then funded by transfer of money into trust bank accounts and/or deeding or transferring of properties to the trust.   The creator of the trust is known as the “Trustor” or the “Settlor.”  Trusts are usually prepared by attorneys because each trust is custom for the situation and there are many types of trusts.  The persons who are to receive money and property out of the trust are known as the “Beneficiaries.” The person or institution that takes care of the money and property of the trust is the “Trustee”.  The trustee is bound by law to follow the directions contained in the declaration of trust.

Image of young caregiver assisting woman from car.

Wills benefiting the attorney or caregiver are suspect

Abuses in formation of wills and trusts

In California over the last few decades there have been some situations whereby attorneys or caregivers have had wills or trusts prepared that benefit them. There was a famous case of a 95-year-old lady whose will left the bulk of her fortune to the people taking care of her. It turns out that the people taking care of her, known as “care custodians” had the will prepared under suspicious circumstances such that the 95-year-old lady probably didn’t know what she was signing. This and other similar situations led to recent legislation to correct abuses.

BULLETPROOF YOUR KIDS’ INHERITANCE

What is a spendthrift trust?

Image of young shopaholic with her hands full of brightly colored shopping bagsA spendthrift trust is a trust that is created for the benefit of a person who is often unable to control his or her spending and gives an independent trustee full authority to make decisions as to how the trust funds may be spent for the benefit of the beneficiary. Spendthrift trust are often established when the beneficiary is too young, immature, or doesn’t have the mental capacity to manage their own money and wants to protect a beneficiary from the beneficiary’s own tendency to uncontrollably, imprudently —and usually rapidly— will exhaust assets.

Spendthrift trust – a simple example

This is best illustrated by a simple example. Mom & Dad set up a living trust for their children and put $500,000 principal into it to be held for the benefit of the children. Suppose one or more of the children has financial trouble and owes money to creditors. With a properly written spendthrift clause in the trust document, the creditors of the children cannot enforce their claims against the children’s share of the trust. The trustee of the trust still would be have discretion to pay money out to the children. People also can set up trusts to benefit themselves but those types of trust are subject to more limits on the spendthrift provisions.

General rule-transfers to creditors can be prohibited

California law generally allows a trust instrument to legally provide that a trust beneficiary’s interest in trust may not be transferred and may not be subject to enforcement of a creditor’s money judgment. Thus, in the $500,000 put into the trust in the above example, if the money is to be held in the trust until the children reach age 35, then before the children reach that age a creditor with a money judgment against the children cannot reach that money. However when a child reaches age 35 in the example and is entitled to his trust principal distribution, the child’s creditors can get a court order to have the child’s principal paid to the creditors to satisfy the judgment. Likewise, if the trust provides for discretionary payment of trust income to trust beneficiaries (as opposed to mandatory payment of income) then the children’s creditors cannot force the trust to pay the income to them.

Living Trust Taxation – The IRS ignores revocable living trusts

LIVING TRUST DEFINED

Image of Old man resting on bench and cuddling dog and catThe term “living trust” is commonly used by estate lawyers and financial planners to describe a trust which is established during a person’s lifetime and which is revocable and changeable.

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I was just put in charge of a trust so what do I do?

Trust Administration Basics for Newly Appointed Trustees

Events triggering administration.    Trust administration is needed when or both of the Trustors (i.e. persons who created the trust) passes away or resigns voluntarily or becomes legally incompetent.

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