August 7, 2013

As a recent article explains, sometimes trustees do not do what they are supposed to. Sometimes trustees make mistakes in carrying out their duties while other times, they knowingly fail to comply with the terms of the trust. If you are the beneficiary of a trust, there may be some things you can do to ensure that the trustee follows the terms of the trust.

Because a trust is created by a legal document, each trust contains rights and duties that are legally enforceable. If a trustee has not followed the terms of the trust, he or she is considered to be in breach of his or her duties. There are several steps a beneficiary should take when he or she believes that the trustee of his or her trust is in breach.

The first step that a beneficiary should take is to review the trust documents. The beneficiary should be certain of what the terms of the trust are before he or she confronts the trustee concerning an alleged breach. Often, discrepancies over the behavior of a trustee are based on misunderstandings about what the trust documents actually say.

If you have consulted the trust documents and still believe that your trustee is in breach of his or her duties, speak with the trustee first. A majority of trust issues can be resolved through proper communication. If communication does not solve your problem, review the trust document to determine what the procedure for replacing trustees is. Although each trust is different, many trusts contain a provision that allows for the relatively easy replacement of a trustee.