(a) A power of appointment is “general” only to the extent that it is exercisable in favor of the powerholder, the powerholder’s estate, the powerholder’s creditors, or creditors of the powerholder’s estate, whether or not it is exercisable in favor of others.

(b) A power to consume, invade, or appropriate property for the benefit of a person in discharge of the powerholder’s obligation of support that is limited by an ascertainable standard relating to the person’s health, education, support, or maintenance is not a general power of appointment.

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Terms Used In California Probate Code 611

  • Appointive property: means the property or interest in property that is the subject of the power of appointment. See California Probate Code 610
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Person: means an individual, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, or other entity. See California Probate Code 56
  • Power of appointment: means a power that enables a powerholder acting in a nonfiduciary capacity to designate a recipient of an ownership interest in or another power of appointment over the appointive property. See California Probate Code 610
  • Powerholder: means the person to whom a power of appointment is given or in whose favor a power of appointment is reserved. See California Probate Code 610
  • Property: means anything that may be the subject of ownership and includes both real and personal property and any interest therein. See California Probate Code 62

(c) A power exercisable by the powerholder only in conjunction with a person having a substantial interest in the appointive property that is adverse to the exercise of the power in favor of the powerholder, the powerholder’s estate, the powerholder’s creditors, or creditors of the powerholder’s estate is not a general power of appointment.

(d) A power of appointment that is not “general” is “special.”

(e) A power of appointment may be general as to some appointive property, or an interest in or a specific portion of appointive property, and be special as to other appointive property.

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 81, Sec. 2. (AB 2846) Effective January 1, 2017.)