Montana Code 72-38-505. Creditor’s claim against settlor
72-38-505. Creditor’s claim against settlor. (1) Whether or not the terms of a trust contain a spendthrift provision, the following rules apply:
Terms Used In Montana Code 72-38-505
- Irrevocable trust: A trust arrangement that cannot be revoked, rescinded, or repealed by the grantor.
- Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
- Power of withdrawal: means a presently exercisable general power of appointment other than a power:
(a)exercisable by a trustee and limited by an ascertainable standard; or
(b)exercisable by another person only upon consent of the trustee or a person holding an adverse interest. See Montana Code 72-38-103
- Probate: Proving a will
- Property: means anything that may be the subject of ownership, whether real or personal, legal or equitable, or any interest therein. See Montana Code 72-38-103
- Revocable trust: A trust agreement that can be canceled, rescinded, revoked, or repealed by the grantor (person who establishes the trust).
- Settlor: means a person, including a testator, who creates or contributes property to a trust. See Montana Code 72-38-103
- Spendthrift provision: means a term of a trust that restrains both voluntary and involuntary transfer of a beneficiary's interest. See Montana Code 72-38-103
- Terms of a trust: means :
(a)except as otherwise provided in subsection (21)(b), the manifestation of the settlor's intent regarding a trust's provisions as:
(i)expressed in the trust instrument; or
(ii)established by other evidence that would be admissible in a judicial proceeding; or
(b)the trust's provisions as established, determined, or amended by:
(i)a trustee or trust director in accordance with applicable law;
(ii)court order; or
(iii)a nonjudicial settlement agreement under 72-38-111. See Montana Code 72-38-103
(a)During the lifetime of the settlor, the property of a revocable trust is subject to claims of the settlor’s creditors.
(b)With respect to an irrevocable trust, a creditor or assignee of the settlor may reach the maximum amount that can be distributed to or for the settlor’s benefit. If a trust has more than one settlor, the amount the creditor or assignee of a particular settlor may reach may not exceed the settlor’s interest in the portion of the trust attributable to that settlor’s contribution. A trustee‘s discretionary authority to pay directly or to reimburse the settlor for any tax that is payable by the settlor on trust income or principal may not be considered to be an amount that can be distributed to or for the settlor’s benefit, and a creditor or assignee of the settlor is not entitled to reach any amount solely by reason of this discretionary authority.
(c)After the death of a settlor, and subject to the settlor’s right to direct the source from which liabilities will be paid, the property of a trust that was revocable at the settlor’s death is subject to claims of the settlor’s creditors, costs of administration of the settlor’s estate, the expenses of the settlor’s funeral and disposal of remains, and statutory allowances to a surviving spouse and children to the extent the settlor’s probate estate is inadequate to satisfy those claims, costs, expenses, and allowances.
(2)For purposes of this section:
(a)during the period the power may be exercised, the holder of a power of withdrawal is treated in the same manner as the settlor of a revocable trust to the extent of the property subject to the power; and
(b)upon the lapse, release, or waiver of the power, the holder is treated as the settlor of the trust only to the extent the value of the property affected by the lapse, release, or waiver exceeds the greater of the amount specified in section 2041(b)(2) or 2514(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or section 2503(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, in each case as in effect on the effective date of this chapter or as later amended.