Appointing a Successor Trustee when the Trustee Dies

The governing documents for trusts often designate who will serve as successor Trustee if the office of Trustee becomes vacant. However, sometimes the trust documents are silent concerning this issue, or sometimes none of the designated successors are able to fill a vacancy in the office of Trustee. What can you do in such a circumstance?

In the past, the only recourse a trust beneficiary had was to incur the time and expense of obtaining a court order to appoint a new Trustee. Now however, under Maryland’s recently new Trust Code, beneficiaries can take action to install a successor Trustee without going to court.

In order to do so, the law requires the beneficiary to identify all of the “qualified beneficiaries,” which includes beneficiaries currently eligible to receive income and/or principal distributions, and those who would be able to receive such amounts if the current beneficiaries cease to be eligible.

One provision of the Maryland Trust Code allows for appointment of a successor Trustee by unaimous agreement of the qualified beneficiaries. Another provision allows for persons who have an interest in the trust to enter into a non-judicial settlement agreement, which agreement, among other things, can provide for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

While these avenues of appointing a Trustee are less onerous than having to petition a court, it still is important that one follow all of the procedures set forth in the relevant statutes.

William M. Gatesman works with clients to appoint successor Trustees using these streamlined non-judicial methods, thereby enabling such clients to save time and money.