§ 62-7-814 — Discretionary powers; tax savings.

(a) Notwithstanding the breadth of discretion granted to a trustee in the terms of the trust, including the use of such terms as "absolute", "sole", or "uncontrolled", the trustee shall exercise a discretionary power in good faith and in accordance with the terms and purposes of the trust and the interests of the beneficiaries. (b) A power whose exercise is limited or prohibited by subsection (c) may be exercised by a majority of the remaining trustees whose exercise of the power is not so limited or prohibited. If the power of all trustees is so limited or prohibited, the court may appoint a special fiduciary with authority to exercise the power. (c) Subject to subsection (d), and unless the application of this section is clearly and convincingly negated in the will, the trust document, terms of the trust, or a written instrument appointing a fiduciary, expressly indicating that a rule in this subsection does not apply, any power conferred upon the fiduciary, in his capacity as a fiduciary (and not including any power conferred upon him in his capacity as a beneficiary), which would, except for this section, constitute, in whole or in part, a general power of appointment cannot be exercised by him in favor of himself, his estate, his creditors, or the creditors of his estate. (1) The fiduciary can, however, exercise the power in favor of someone other than himself, his estate, his creditors and the creditors of his estate. (2) If a power comes within subsection (c) and the power is conferred upon two or more fiduciaries, it can be exercised by the fiduciary or the fiduciaries who are not disqualified from exercising the power as if they were the only fiduciary or fiduciaries. (3) If all of the serving fiduciaries are disqualified from exercising a power, the court that would have jurisdiction to appoint a fiduciary under the instrument, if there were no fiduciary currently serving, shall exercise, or shall appoint a special fiduciary whose only power is to exercise the power that cannot be exercised by the other fiduciaries by reason of subsection (c). (4) A trustee may not exercise a power to make discretionary distributions to satisfy a legal obligation of support that the trustee personally owes another person. (d) Subsection (c) does not apply to: (1) a power held by the settlor's spouse who is the trustee of a trust for which a marital deduction, as defined in Section 2056(b)(5) or 2523(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, was previously allowed; (2) any trust during any period that the trust may be revoked or amended by its settlor; or (3) a trust if contributions to the trust qualify for the annual exclusion under Section 2503(c) of the Internal Revenue Code as amended.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 2005 Act No. 66, SECTION 1; 2010 Act No. 244, SECTION 53, eff June 7, 2010; 2013 Act No. 100, SECTION 2, eff January 1, 2014. Effect of Amendment The 2010 amendment substituted "(c)" for "(d)" following "subsection" in the first sentence.