When drafting an estate plan, it’s critical to select the right trustee to carry out your wishes and protect your beneficiaries. It’s also important to establish procedures for removing a trustee in the event that circumstances change.

Failing to do so doesn’t mean your beneficiaries will be stuck with an inadequate trustee. But they’ll have to petition a court to remove the trustee for cause, which can be an expensive, time-consuming and uncertain process. Making the process more onerous is the fact that courts generally are reluctant to remove a trustee who was hand-picked by the trust maker.

Reasons for removing a trustee

Grounds for removing a trustee vary according to state law, but typically include:

  • Conflicts of interest or lack of cooperation with beneficiaries,
  • Insolvency or bankruptcy (if it would jeopardize trust administration),
  • Mismanagement, fraud or other misconduct,
  • Poor health, or
  • Legal incapacity.

To avoid the need for court intervention, include procedures for removing a trustee in your trust agreement. You might allow beneficiaries to remove a trustee without cause if they’re dissatisfied with his or her performance. Or you might provide for removal of a trustee under specific circumstances defined in the trust agreement.

Provide a list of successor trustees

Your trust agreement also should include a list of successor trustees. If one trustee is removed, the next person on your list becomes the new trustee. Another option is to appoint a trust protector — a “super trustee” empowered to make certain decisions, including firing a trustee and appointing a new one. If you have questions regarding trustees, please contact us.

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