Title 19, Descent, Distribution, and Trusts. [Enacted title]

The common law of trusts and principles of equity supplement this chapter, except to the extent modified by this chapter or another statute of the District of Columbia.

The meaning and effect of the terms of a trust are determined by: (1) The law of the jurisdiction designated in the terms unless the designation of that jurisdiction’s law is contrary to a strong public policy of the jurisdiction having the most significant relationship to the ma…

(a) Without precluding other means for establishing a sufficient connection with the designated jurisdiction, terms of a trust designating the principal place of administration are valid and controlling if: (1) A trustee’s principal place of business is located in or a trustee is…

(a) Notice to a person under this chapter or the sending of a document to a person under this chapter must be accomplished in a manner reasonably suitable under the circumstances and likely to result in receipt of the notice or document. Permissible methods of notice or for sendi…

(a) Whenever notice to qualified beneficiaries of a trust is required under this chapter, the trustee must also give notice to any other beneficiary who has sent the trustee a request for notice. (b) A charitable organization expressly designated to receive distributions under th…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term “interested persons” means persons whose consent would be required in order to achieve a binding settlement were the settlement to be approved by the court. (b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this section, interest…

(a) The court may intervene in the administration of a trust to the extent its jurisdiction is invoked by an interested person or as provided by law. (b) A trust is not subject to continuing judicial supervision unless ordered by the court. (c) A judicial proceeding involving a t…

(a) By accepting the trusteeship of a trust having its principal place of administration in the District of Columbia or by moving the principal place of administration to the District of Columbia, the trustee submits personally to the jurisdiction of the courts of the District of…

(a) Notice to a person who may represent and bind another person under this subchapter has the same effect as if notice were given directly to the other person. (b) The consent of a person who may represent and bind another person under this subchapter is binding on the person re…

The holder of a power of appointment may represent and bind persons whose interests as permissible appointees or takers in default are subject to the power. A qualified power of appointment is a power exercisable in favor of: (1) The power holder, the power holder’s estate, the p…

To the extent there is no conflict of interest between the representative and the person represented or among those being represented with respect to a particular question or dispute: (1) A conservator may represent and bind the estate that the conservator controls; (2) A guardia…

Unless otherwise represented, a minor, incapacitated, or unborn individual, or a person whose identity or location is unknown and not reasonably ascertainable, may be represented by and bound by another having a substantially identical interest with respect to the particular ques…

(a) If the court determines that an interest is not represented under this subchapter, or that the otherwise available representation might be inadequate, the court may appoint a representative to receive notice, give consent, and otherwise represent, bind, and act on behalf of a…

A trust may be created by: (1) Transfer of property to another person as trustee during the settlor’s lifetime or by will or other disposition taking effect upon the settlor’s death; (2) Declaration by the owner of property that the owner holds identifiable property as trustee; (…

(a) A trust is created only if: (1) The settlor has capacity to create a trust; (2) The settlor indicates an intention to create the trust; (3) The trust has a definite beneficiary or is: (A) A charitable trust; (B) A trust for the care of an animal, as provided in section 19-130…

A trust not created by will is validly created if its creation complies with the law of the jurisdiction in which the trust instrument was executed, or the law of the jurisdiction in which, at the time of creation: (1) The settlor was domiciled, had a place of abode, or was a nat…

A trust may be created only to the extent its purposes are lawful, not contrary to public policy, and possible to achieve. A trust and its terms must be for the benefit of its beneficiaries.

(a) A charitable trust may be created for the relief of poverty, the advancement of education or religion, the promotion of health, governmental or municipal purposes, or other purposes the achievement of which is beneficial to the community. (b) If the terms of a charitable trus…

A trust is void to the extent its creation was induced by fraud, duress, or undue influence.

Except as required by a statute other than this chapter, a trust need not be evidenced by a trust instrument, but the creation of an oral trust and its terms may be established only by clear and convincing evidence.

(a) A trust may be created to provide for the care of an animal alive during the settlor’s lifetime. The trust terminates upon the death of the animal or, if the trust was created to provide for the care of more than one animal alive during the settlor’s lifetime, upon the death …

Except as otherwise provided in section 19-1304.08 or by D.C. Official Code § 43-113, the following rules apply: (1) A trust may be created for a noncharitable purpose without a definite or definitely ascertainable beneficiary or for a noncharitable but otherwise valid purpose to…

(a) In addition to the methods of termination prescribed by section 19-1304.11 through section 19-1304.14, a trust terminates to the extent the trust is revoked or expires pursuant to its terms, no purpose of the trust remains to be achieved, or the purposes of the trust have bec…

(a) A noncharitable irrevocable trust may be modified or terminated upon consent of the settlor and all beneficiaries, even if the modification or termination is inconsistent with a material purpose of the trust. A settlor’s power to consent to a trust’s modification or terminati…

(a) The court may modify the administrative or dispositive terms of a trust or terminate the trust if, because of circumstances not anticipated by the settlor, modification or termination will further the purposes of the trust. To the extent practicable, the modification must be …

Except as otherwise provided in the terms of the trust, if a particular charitable purpose is or becomes unlawful, impracticable, impossible to achieve, or wasteful: (1) The trust does not fail, in whole or in part; (2) The trust property does not revert to the settlor or the set…

(a) After notice to the qualified beneficiaries, the trustee of a trust consisting of trust property having a total value less than $50,000 may terminate the trust if the trustee concludes that the value of the trust property is insufficient to justify the cost of administration.…

The court may reform the terms of a trust, even if unambiguous, to conform the terms to the settlor’s intention if it is proved by clear and convincing evidence that both the settlor’s intent and the terms of the trust were affected by a mistake of fact or law, whether in express…

To achieve the settlor’s tax objectives, the court may modify the terms of a trust in a manner that is not contrary to the settlor’s probable intention. The court may provide that the modification has retroactive effect.

After notice to the qualified beneficiaries, a trustee may combine 2 or more trusts into a single trust or divide a trust into 2 or more separate trusts, if the result does not impair rights of any beneficiary or adversely affect achievement of the purposes of the trust.

Real or personal property that is transferred to a trust may be titled in the name of: (1) The trust by reference to the instrument creating the trust; (2) The current trustee as the trustee of such trust; or (3) “The trustee” as the trustee of such trust.

To the extent a beneficiary’s interest is not protected by a spendthrift provision, the court may authorize a creditor or assignee of the beneficiary to reach the beneficiary’s interest by attachment of present or future distributions to or for the benefit of the beneficiary or o…

(a) A spendthrift provision is valid only if it restrains both voluntary and involuntary transfer of a beneficiary’s interest. (b) A term of a trust providing that the interest of a beneficiary is held subject to a “spendthrift trust,” or words of similar import, is sufficient to…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term “child” includes any person for whom an order or judgment for child support has been entered in this or another State. (b) Whether or not a trust contains a spendthrift provision, a beneficiary’s child, who has a judgment or court or…

(a) Whether or not the terms of a trust contain a spendthrift provision, the following rules apply: (1) During the lifetime of the settlor, the property of a revocable trust is subject to claims of the settlor’s creditors. (2) With respect to an irrevocable trust, a creditor or a…

Whether or not a trust contains a spendthrift provision, a creditor or assignee of a beneficiary may reach a mandatory distribution of income or principal, including a distribution upon termination of the trust, if the trustee has not made the distribution to the beneficiary with…

Trust property is not subject to personal obligations of the trustee, even if the trustee becomes insolvent or bankrupt.

The capacity required to create, amend, revoke, or add property to a revocable trust, or to direct the actions of the trustee of a revocable trust, is the same as that required to make a will.

(a) Unless the terms of a trust expressly provide that the trust is irrevocable, the settlor may revoke or amend the trust. This subsection does not apply to a trust created under an instrument executed before the effective date of this chapter [March 10, 2004]. (b) If a revocabl…

(a) While a trust is revocable, rights of the beneficiaries are subject to the control of, and the duties of the trustee are owed exclusively to, the settlor. (b) While a trust is not revocable, for so long as a person has a currently exercisable power of withdrawal over the enti…

(a) A person may commence a judicial proceeding to contest the validity of a trust that was revocable at the settlor’s death within the earliest of: (1) One year after the settlor’s death; (2) Ninety days after the trustee sent the person a copy of the trust instrument and a noti…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this section, a person designated as trustee accepts the trusteeship: (1) By substantially complying with a method of acceptance provided in the terms of the trust; or (2) If the terms of the trust do not provide a method or t…

(a) A trustee shall give bond to secure performance of the trustee’s duties only if the court finds that a bond is needed to protect the interests of the beneficiaries or is required by the terms of the trust and the court has not dispensed with the requirement. (b) The court may…

(a) Cotrustees who are unable to reach a unanimous decision may act by majority decision. (b) If a vacancy occurs in a cotrusteeship, the remaining cotrustees may act for the trust. (c) A cotrustee must participate in the performance of a trustee’s function unless the cotrustee i…

(a) A vacancy in a trusteeship occurs if: (1) A person designated as trustee rejects the trusteeship; (2) A person designated as trustee cannot be identified or does not exist; (3) A trustee resigns; (4) A trustee is disqualified or removed; (5) A trustee dies; or (6) A guardian …