What rights do I have as a trust beneficiary?

As a trust beneficiary, you may feel like you are at the mercy of the trustee, but depending on the type of trust, trust beneficiaries may have rights to ensure the trust is properly managed.

A trust is a legal arrangement through which one person, called a "settlor" or "grantor," gives assets to another person (or an institution, such as a bank or law firm), called a "trustee." The trustee holds legal title to the assets for another person, called a "beneficiary." The rights of a trust beneficiary depend on the type of trust and the type of beneficiary.

If the trust is a revocable trust—meaning the person who set up the trust can change it or revoke it at any time--the trust beneficiaries other than the settlor have very few rights. Because the settlor can change the trust at any time, he or she can also change the beneficiaries at any time. Often a trust is revocable until the settlor dies and then it becomes irrevocable. An irrevocable trust is a trust that cannot be changed except in rare cases by court order.

Beneficiaries of an irrevocable trust have rights to information about the trust and to make sure the trustee is acting properly. The scope of those rights depends on the type of beneficiary. Current beneficiaries are beneficiaries who are currently entitled to income from the trust. Remainder or contingent beneficiaries have an interest in the trust after the current beneficiaries' interest is over. For example, a wife may set up a trust that leaves income to her husband for life (the current beneficiary) and then the remainder of the property to her children (the remainder beneficiaries).

State law and the terms of the trust determine exactly what rights a beneficiary has, but the following five common rights are often given to beneficiaries of irrevocable trusts:

• Payment. Current beneficiaries have the right to distributions as set forth in the trust document.
• Right to information. Current and remainder beneficiaries have the right to be provided enough information about the trust and its administration to know how to enforce their rights.
• Right to an accounting. Current beneficiaries are entitled to an accounting. An accounting is a detailed report of all income, expenses, and distributions from the trust. Usually trustees are required to provide an accounting annually, but that may vary, depending on the terms of the trust. Beneficiaries may also be able to waive the accounting.
• Remove the trustee. Current and remainder beneficiaries have the right to petition the court for the removal of the trustee if they believe the trustee isn't acting in their best interest. Trustees have an obligation to balance the needs of the current beneficiary with the needs of the remainder beneficiaries, which can be difficult to manage.
• End the trust. In some circumstances, if all the current and remainder beneficiaries agree, they can petition the court to end the trust. State laws vary on when this is allowed. Usually, the purpose of the trust must have been fulfilled or be impossible.

Why a will is not enough (or why your estate plan should include a revocable trust)

Your will is a legally binding statement directing who will receive your property upon your death. It also appoints a legal representative, often called an “executor” or “personal representative,” to carry out your wishes. The process by which a person’s property is passed to the people or institutions named in the will is called probate. However, a will covers only probate property. Many types of property or forms of ownership pass outside of probate. Examples of property that pass outside of probate and, thus, are not mentioned in a will, include: jointly-owned property, property in a trust, life insurance proceeds, and property with a named beneficiary, such as IRAs or 401(k) plans.

A trust is a legal arrangement through which one person (or an institution, such as a bank or law firm), called a “trustee,” holds legal title to property for another person, called a “beneficiary.” The rules or instructions under which the trustee operates are set out in the trust instrument. There can be a number of advantages to establishing a trust, depending on the individual situation. Particularly important for the basic estate plan, revocable or living trusts give the donor complete control over the trust. The donor may amend, revoke or terminate the trust at any time. The donor can take back the funds he put in the trust or change the trust’s terms. The donor can also title other assets, including non-probate assets in the name of the trust. Thus, the donor is able to reap the benefits of the trust arrangement while maintaining the ability to change the trust at any time prior to death.

Revocable trusts are generally used for the following purposes:

1. Asset management. They permit the trustee (the person who manages the trust) to administer and invest the trust property for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries of the trust.

2. Probate avoidance. At the death of the person who created the trust, the trust property passes to whomever is named in the trust. It does not come under the jurisdiction of the probate court and its distribution need not be held up by the probate process. However, the property of a revocable trust will be included in the donor’s estate for tax purposes.

3. Tax planning. While the assets of a revocable trust will be included in the donor’s taxable estate, the trust can be drafted so that the assets will not be included in the estates of the beneficiaries, thus avoiding taxes when they die.

4. Disability planning. Wills only provide for death. Trusts can help a person have a plan in place in the event of their own illness.