ethical for attorney who drafted special needs trust to serve as trustee

by Julianne Pfeffer 9 min read

Who should serve as trustee?

Naming a Friend or Family Member as Trustee As a result, you could name a friend or family member as your trustee. However, you want to be sure that they are someone you trust to handle your financial affairs. Friends and family members are often named as successor trustees when people name themselves as trustees.Dec 31, 2020

Should I agree to be a trustee?

Most people agree to act as successor trustee because they feel a sense of loyalty to the person who asked them. In many cases, the trustee is either a beneficiary of the trust, a close friend or relative, or the deceased person's accountant or other adviser.

What are the responsibilities of a trustee of a special needs trust?

The trustee is responsible for keeping the trust records and for providing accounts to the beneficiary and sometimes to others. Like investing, not all trustees are going to prepare accounts on their own - sometimes they hire bookkeepers to do this.Aug 3, 2016

How do you draft a special needs trust?

To establish a Third Party Special Needs Trust, the family member needs to sign the trust document and then transfer the assets to the Trustee. The trust document is provided by an attorney who provides legal representation and writes all the necessary documents.

Can a trustee do whatever they want?

The trustee cannot do whatever they want. They must follow the trust document, and follow the California Probate Code. More than that, Trustees don't get the benefits of the Trust. The Trust assets will pass to the Trust beneficiaries eventually.Apr 30, 2019

What are the legal responsibilities of a trustee?

The trustee acts as the legal owner of trust assets, and is responsible for handling any of the assets held in trust, tax filings for the trust, and distributing the assets according to the terms of the trust.

Can a 401k be put into a special needs trust?

The answer is a clear no. A disabled person cannot transfer a retirement plan into a special needs trust without first liquidating it and paying taxes on the realized income.Mar 11, 2021

What are the disadvantages of a special needs trust?

Disadvantages to SNTCost. Annual fees and a high cost to set up a SNT can make it financially difficult to create a SNT – The yearly costs to manage the trust can be high. ... Lack of independence. ... Medicaid payback.Sep 6, 2012

What is a d4c trust?

Another special purpose trust is a pooled trust (sometimes called a d4c trust). This trust, operated by a nonprofit organization, pools together the resources of many Medicaid beneficiaries, using what is called a "master trust" along with separate "sub-trusts," or "sub-accounts," for each participating beneficiary.

What is the difference between a trust and a special needs trust?

So the special-needs trust is a type of trust that is used to provide assets and resources to take care of a person with a disability, while the living trust is a will substitute that I might use in place of having a will for my estate plan.

What is a trustee in a trust?

A trustee holds property or assets in trust for one person, to be transferred to another. A common example of the creation of a trustee is when a person creates a valid trust and grants authority to a person to hold property and assets. The trustee will hold these until certain conditions have been fulfilled for the transfer from the trustor to ...

What are the duties of a trustee?

Under the law, a trustee has fiduciary duties including a duty of loyalty, a duty of prudence, and subsidiary duties. If a trustee breaches any of these duties, they will be held personally liable.

What is a board of trustees?

Additionally, a board of trustees oversees a group’s finances. Many non-profit organizations operate under a board of trustees. Trusts are regularly drafted by attorneys, so at first glance, appointing your attorney as your trustee seems like a convenient and great idea. However, there are a number of ethical risks that may arise ...

Can a trustee resign without the consent of all beneficiaries?

However, the trustee must voluntarily accept the position. Further, once accepted, a trustee is not allowed to resign without the consent of all of the named beneficiaries to the trust or with the permission of a court of law.

What is exculpatory language?

Exculpatory language is wording and phrasing that frees one party from certain liability, while waiving the rights of the other. Exculpatory language is often used in contracts to essentially strip one party of their rights, such as the right to sue.

What is the duty of loyalty of a trustee?

The duty of loyalty requires that the trustee administer the trust solely in the interest of the beneficiaries. Also, the duty of prudence requires that the trustee is held to an objective standard of care in managing the trust property.

What are subsidiary rules?

In addition, subsidiary rules include the duty of impartiality, the duty not to commingle trust assets with the trustee’s personal assets, as well as the duty to regularly provide accounting to beneficiaries. Like a trustee, an attorney will not be allowed to make any agreements limiting their liability as to the fiduciary duty owed ...