First Page
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Abstract
In examining significant trends in American trust law, several observations are worth mentioning at the outset. First, trust law in the United States is primarily a matter of state law; thus, the trends discussed below may appear in some states but not in others. Second, procedural merger of law and equity in this country has been substantially accomplished in nearly all states, but this should not be understood as eliminating the importance of equitable doctrine and remedies. Third, without abandoning the basic definition of a trust as a fiduciary relationship, there appear to be subtle but practically significant departures from the traditional concept that a trust is not an "entity." Certainly, the tax law has long treated the typical trust as an entity separate from the trustee. In addition, an increasing number of states draw a distinction for various purposes between the trustee personally and the trustee's fiduciary or "representative" capacity.
Property owners in the United States and elsewhere are generally living longer, often into longer periods of diminished physical or mental health. In addition, it is generally accepted that today broader segments of society than in the past are using trusts, and with a greater diversity of objectives, but increasingly without the aid of legal counsel who are highly skilled in estate planning and trust practice. Perhaps these factors are playing some role in the "user friendly" responses below, making the trust law more sympathetic to the results of error or oversight and more sensitive to the broad variety of trusts, trusteeships, settlor objectives, and beneficiary circumstances.
Part II of this Article will describe substantive trust law in the United States, in particular the creation, interpretation, and reformation of trusts, as well as trust termination and modification. Revocable inter vivos trusts, spendthrift trusts, and related topics will also be addressed. Part III will discuss fiduciary standards, focusing on the duties of the trustee and the rights of beneficiaries.
Recommended Citation
Edward C. Halbach, Jr.,
Significant Trends in the Trust Law of the United States,
32 Vanderbilt Law Review
531
(2021)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/vjtl/vol32/iss3/3