Friday, August 28, 2009

Trust Protectors: Trust Agreement May Create the Protector's Duty

Robert T. McLean Irrevocable Trust v. Patrick Davis, P.C., 283 S.W.3d 786 (Mo. Ct. App. 2009): A trustee and the mother of a beneficiary brought suit against the predecessor trustees and the trust protector alleging that the trustees improperly managed the trust and that trust protector violated his duties. Finding that the Missouri statutes (identical to Uniform Trust Code § 808) does not define the function and duties of a trust protector, the court turned to the trust document which stated that the trust protector is a fiduciary, is not to be liable to actions taken in good faith, and has the power to remove the trustee. The court held that the trust language created a duty in the trust protector to exercise the power to remove the trustee sufficient and reversed the lower court’s summary judgment for the trust protector.