Virginia Code 64.2-720: Requirements for creation
A. A trust is created only if:
Terms Used In Virginia Code 64.2-720
- Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
- Beneficiary: means a person that (i) has a present or future, vested or contingent, beneficial interest in a trust; (ii) holds a power of appointment over trust property; or (iii) is an identified charitable organization that will or may receive distributions under the terms of the trust. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Charitable trust: means a trust, or portion of a trust, created for a charitable purpose described in § 64. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Person: means an individual; estate; business or nonprofit entity; government; governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality; public corporation; or other legal entity. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
- Property: means anything that may be the subject of ownership, whether real or personal, legal or equitable, or any interest therein. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Settlor: except as otherwise provided in § 64. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
- Trustee: includes an original, additional, and successor trustee and a cotrustee. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
1. The settlor has capacity to create a trust; or when the trust is created by the settlor’s agent under a power of attorney, which expressly authorizes the agent to create a trust on the settlor’s behalf;
2. The settlor or his agent 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 § 64.2-726; or
c. A trust for a noncharitable purpose, as provided in § 64.2-727;
4. The trustee has duties to perform; and
5. The same person is not the sole trustee and sole beneficiary.
B. A beneficiary is definite if the beneficiary can be ascertained now or in the future, subject to any applicable rule against perpetuities.
C. A power in a trustee to select a beneficiary from an indefinite class is valid. If the power is not exercised within a reasonable time, the power fails and the property subject to the power passes to the persons who would have taken the property had the power not been conferred.
2005, c. 935, § 55-544.02; 2010, cc. 455, 632; 2012, c. 614.