Title 62, South Carolina Probate Code

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 two or more trusts into a single trust or divide a trust into two or more separate trusts, if the result does not impair rights of any beneficiary or adversely affect achievement of the purposes of the trust.

(a) When any person shall be seized of any lands, tenements, rents, reversions, remainders, or other hereditaments to the use, confidence, or trust of any other person or of any body politic by reason of any bargain, sale, feoffment, covenant, contract, agreement, will, or otherw…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), 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 other means. The court may limit the award …

(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) In this section, "child" includes any person for whom an order or judgment for child support has been entered in this or another State. (b) Even if a trust contains a spendthrift provision, a beneficiary's child who has a judgment or court order against the beneficiary for su…

(a) In this section, "child" includes any person for whom an order or judgment for child support has been entered in this or another state. (b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c), a creditor of a beneficiary may not compel a distribution from a trust in which the bene…

(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, whether created…

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.

(A)(1) Except as otherwise provided under the terms of a trust, if all or any portion of the trust is treated as being owned by a person under Section 671 of the Internal Revenue Code or any similar federal, state, or other tax law, the trustee of such trust may, in the trustee's…

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 article. (b) If a revocable trust is create…

(a) An agent acting pursuant to a power of attorney may exercise the following powers of the settlor with respect to a revocable trust only to the extent expressly authorized by the terms of the trust or the power of attorney: (1) revocation of the trust; (2) amendment of the tru…

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.

(a) A person must commence a judicial proceeding to contest the validity of a trust that was revocable at the settlor's death within the earlier of: (1) one year after the settlor's death; or (2) one hundred twenty days after the trustee sent the person a copy of the trust instru…

A provision in a revocable trust purporting to penalize any interested person for contesting the validity of the trust or instituting other proceedings relating to the trust is unenforceable if probable cause exists for instituting proceedings.

(A) Unless the trust expressly provides otherwise, if the beneficiary under a revocable trust, who is a great-grandparent or a lineal descendant of a great-grandparent of the settlor, is dead at the time of execution of the trust, fails to survive the settlor, or is treated as if…

If after executing a revocable trust the settlor is divorced or the marriage annulled or the spouse is a party to a valid proceeding concluded by an order purporting to terminate all marital property rights or confirming equitable distribution between spouses, the divorce or annu…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c), 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 the method provid…

(a) A trustee shall provide bond to secure the performance of the trustee's duties if: (1) the terms of the governing instrument require the trustee to provide bond; (2) a beneficiary requests the trustee to provide bond and the court finds the request to be reasonable; or (3) th…

(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 …

(a) A trustee may resign: (1) upon at least 30 days notice in writing to the qualified beneficiaries, the settlor, if living, and all cotrustees; or (2) with the approval of the court. (b) In approving a resignation, the court may issue orders and impose conditions reasonably nec…

(a) For the reasons set forth in subsection (b), the settlor, a cotrustee, or a beneficiary may request the court to remove a trustee, or a trustee may be removed by the court on its own initiative. (b) The court may remove a trustee if: (1) the trustee has committed a serious br…

(a) Unless a cotrustee remains in office or the court otherwise orders, and until the trust property is delivered to a successor trustee or other person entitled to it, a trustee who has resigned or been removed has the duties of a trustee and the powers necessary to protect the …

(a) If the terms of a trust do not specify the trustee's compensation, a trustee is entitled to compensation that is reasonable under the circumstances. (b) If the terms of a trust specify the trustee's compensation, the trustee is entitled to be compensated as specified, but the…

(a) A trustee is entitled to be reimbursed out of the trust property, with interest at the legal rate as appropriate, for: (1) expenses that were properly incurred in the administration of the trust; and (2) to the extent necessary to prevent unjust enrichment of the trust, expen…

Upon acceptance of a trusteeship, the trustee shall administer the trust in good faith, in accordance with its terms and purposes and the interests of the beneficiaries, and in accordance with this article.

(a) A trustee shall administer the trust solely in the interests of the beneficiaries. (b) Subject to the rights of persons dealing with or assisting the trustee as provided in Section 62-7-1012, a sale, encumbrance, or other transaction involving the investment or management of …

If a trust has two or more beneficiaries, the trustee shall act impartially in investing, managing, and distributing the trust property, giving due regard to the beneficiaries' respective interests.

A trustee shall administer the trust as a prudent person would, by considering the purposes, terms, distributional requirements, and other circumstances of the trust. In satisfying this standard, the trustee shall exercise reasonable care, skill, and caution.

In administering a trust, the trustee may incur only costs that are reasonable in relation to the trust property, the purposes of the trust, and the skills of the trustee.

A trustee who has special skills or expertise, or is named trustee in reliance upon the trustee's representation that the trustee has special skills or expertise, shall use those special skills or expertise.

(a) A trustee may delegate duties and powers that a prudent trustee of comparable skills could properly delegate under the circumstances. The trustee shall exercise reasonable care, skill, and caution in: (1) selecting an agent; (2) establishing the scope and terms of the delegat…

(a) While a trust is revocable, the trustee may follow a direction of the settlor that is contrary to the terms of the trust. (b) If the terms of a trust confer upon a person other than the settlor of a revocable trust power to direct certain actions of the trustee, the trustee s…

A trustee shall take reasonable steps to take control of and protect the trust property.

(a) A trustee shall keep adequate records of the administration of the trust. (b) A trustee shall keep trust property separate from the trustee's own property. (c) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d), a trustee shall cause the trust property to be designated so that th…

A trustee shall take reasonable steps to enforce claims of the trust and to defend claims against the trust.

Unless directed otherwise by the court or by the trust instrument, a successor trustee appointed by the court or by the trust instrument succeeds to all the powers, duties, and discretionary authority given to the predecessor trustee. Upon reasonable request, a successor trustee …

(a) Unless the terms of a trust expressly provide otherwise, while a trust is revocable the trustee's duties under this section are owed exclusively to the settlor. (b) Unless the terms of a trust expressly provide otherwise, a trustee who accepts a trusteeship or undertakes the …

(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 …

(a) A trustee, without authorization by the court, may exercise: (1) powers conferred by the terms of the trust; and (2) except as limited by the terms of the trust: (A) all powers over the trust property which an unmarried competent owner has over individually owned property; (B…

Without limiting the authority conferred by Section 62-7-815, a trustee may: (1) collect trust property and accept or reject additions to the trust property from a settlor or any other person; (2) acquire or sell property, for cash or on credit, at public or private sale; (3) exc…

(a) Unless the terms of the instrument expressly provide otherwise, a trustee with the discretion to make distributions of principal or income to or for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries of a trust, the original trust, may exercise that discretion by appointing all or part…

(a) Upon termination or partial termination of a trust, the trustee may send to the beneficiaries a proposal for distribution. The right of any beneficiary to object to the proposed distribution terminates if the beneficiary does not notify the trustee of an objection within 30 d…