Ultimately, trustees can only withdraw money from a trust account for specific expenses within certain limitations. Their duties require them to comply with the grantor's wishes. If they breach their fiduciary duties, they will be removed as the trustee and face a surcharge for compensatory damages.
It helps to remember that a Trust is a separate legal entity. The Trustees and beneficiaries are not personally liable for debts owed by the Trust. The Trustee is acting in a fiduciary capacity. The Trustee is required to gather the assets and pay the Trust debts.
Asset protection trusts offer the strongest protection you can find from creditors, lawsuits, or any judgments against your estate. An APT can even help deter costly litigation before it begins, or it can influence the outcomes of settlement negotiations favorably.
Under California law, embezzling trust funds or property valued at $950 or less is a misdemeanor offense and is punishable by up to 6 months in county jail. If a trustee embezzles more than $950 from the trust, they can be charged with felony embezzlement, which carries a sentence of up to 3 years in jail.
But generally, the trustee is entitled to use trust funds to pay for things like: Funeral and burial expenses for yourself or a trust beneficiary. Expenses related to properties included in the trust, such as repairs or property insurance. Repaying any debts owed by your estate when you pass away.
Who Can Sue for Breach of Trust? California Probate Code §16420 states that any beneficiary or co-trustee can file a petition alleging breach of trust in the probate court.
Selecting the wrong trustee is easily the biggest blunder parents can make when setting up a trust fund. As estate planning attorneys, we've seen first-hand how this critical error undermines so many parents' good intentions.
To find out who owns the assets in a revocable trust, look to whoever is the trustee. If the trustee is also the grantor, then the grantor still owns and controls the assets. If the grantor assigned another person or entity as the trustee, the trust owns the assets, which are managed by the trustee.
Once you transfer your assets into such a trust, they are no longer under your personal control—making them inaccessible to those who might seek to seize them. This permanence provides a sturdy barrier against potential threats, ensuring that your wealth remains intact for your beneficiaries.
While trustees may temporarily be able to delay trust distributions if a valid reason exists for them doing so, they are rarely entitled to hold trust assets indefinitely or refuse beneficiaries the gifts they were left through the trust.
Depending on the complexity of the case, it may cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $100,000 or more to dispute the terms of a trust.
Per California trust law, if a trustee has committed a breach of their fiduciary duty, the court can deem them personally liable for damages. The extent of liability, ultimately, depends on the severity of their offense and your situation.
Trusts offer amazing benefits, but they also come with potential downsides like loss of control, limited access to assets, costs, and recordkeeping difficulties.
The grantor can set up the trust so the money is distributed directly to the beneficiaries free and clear of limitations. The trustee can transfer real estate to the beneficiary by having a new deed written up or selling the property and giving them the money, writing them a check or giving them cash.
As a result, a creditor could go after the trust, seek its termination, and gain access to assets within it. So, to be absolutely clear: A revocable living trust does not protect assets from creditors.
The trustee manages the trust and distributes its assets at a prescribed time. The trustee is in charge of managing the assets in an irrevocable trust while the grantor is still alive.
Once you die, your living trust becomes irrevocable, which means that your wishes are now set in stone. The person you named to be the successor trustee now steps up to take an inventory of the trust assets and eventually hand over property to the beneficiaries named in the trust.
A trustee typically has the most control in running their trust. They are granted authority by their grantor to oversee and distribute assets according to terms set out in their trust document, while beneficiaries merely reap its benefits without overseeing its operations themselves.
Generally, no you cannot sue a trust directly. Again, that's because a trust is a legal entity, not a person. It's possible, however, to sue the trustee of a trust whether that trust is revocable or irrevocable. As mentioned, in the case of a creditor lawsuit the trustee of a revocable living trust could be sued.
Once dominant in a market, critics alleged, the trusts could artificially inflate prices, bully rivals, and bribe politicians.
While some may hold millions of dollars, based on data from the Federal Reserve, the median size of a trust fund is around $285,000. That's certainly not “set for life” money, but it can play a large role in helping families of all means transfer and protect wealth.
Under California law, stealing trust assets with a value of $950 or less is a misdemeanor with a maximum jail sentence of 6 months.
A living trust does not protect your assets from a lawsuit. Living trusts are revocable, meaning you remain in control of the assets and you are the legal owner until your death. Because you legally still own these assets, someone who wins a verdict against you can likely gain access to these assets.
Unlike a company, a trust is not a separate legal entity, although it is treated as a separate entity when it comes to registering for tax. That means the trustee is liable for any of the trust's debts, which is why many people choose to have a company as trustee.