Ohio § 5801.01

Full text of Ohio Ohio Revised Code § 5801.01, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 5801.01.

As used in Chapters 5801. to 5811. of the Revised Code: (A) “Action,” with respect to an act of a trustee, includes a failure to act. (B) “ Ascertainable standard ” means a standard relating to an individual's health, education, support, or maintenance

within the meaning of section 2041(b)(1)(A) or 2514(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code . (C) “ Beneficiary ” means a person that has a present or future beneficial interest in a trust, whether

vested or contingent, or that, in a capacity other than that of trustee, holds a power

of appointment over trust property, or a charitable organization that is expressly

designated in the terms of the trust to receive distributions.  “Beneficiary” does not include any charitable organization that is not expressly

designated in the terms of the trust to receive distributions, but to whom the trustee

may in its discretion make distributions. (D) “ Beneficiary surrogate ” means a person, other than a trustee, designated by the settlor in the trust instrument

to receive notices, information, and reports otherwise required to be provided to

a current beneficiary under divisions (B)(8) and (9) of section 5801.04 of the Revised

Code. (E) “ Charitable trust ” means a trust, or portion of a trust, created for a charitable purpose described

in division (A) of section 5804.05 of the Revised Code . (F) “ Current beneficiary ” means a beneficiary that, on the date the beneficiary's qualification is determined,

is a distributee or permissible distributee of trust income or principal. (G) “ Environmental law ” means a federal, state, or local law, rule, regulation, or ordinance relating to

protection of the environment. (H) “ Guardian of the estate ” means a guardian appointed by a court to administer the estate of any individual

or to serve as conservator of the property of an individual eighteen years of age

or older under section 2111.021 of the Revised Code . (I) “ Guardian of the person ” means a guardian appointed by a court to make decisions regarding the support, care,

education, health, and welfare of any individual or to serve as conservator of the

person of an individual eighteen years of age or older under section 2111.021 of the Revised Code .  “Guardian of the person” does not include a guardian ad litem. (J) “ Internal Revenue Code ” means the “Internal Revenue Code of 1986,” 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C. 1 et seq., as amended. (K) “ Interests of the beneficiaries ” means the beneficial interests provided in the terms of the trust. (L) “Jurisdiction,” with respect to a geographic area, includes a state or country. (M) “ Mandatory distribution ” means a distribution of income or principal, including a distribution upon termination

of the trust, that the trustee is required to make to a beneficiary under the terms

of the trust.  Mandatory distributions do not include distributions that a trustee is directed

or authorized to make pursuant to a support or other standard, regardless of whether

the terms of the trust provide that the trustee “may” or “shall” make the distributions

pursuant to a support or other standard. (N) “ Person ” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited

liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental agency or

instrumentality, public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity. (O) “ Power of withdrawal ” means a presently exercisable general power of appointment other than a power exercisable

by a trustee that is limited by an ascertainable standard or that is exercisable by

another person only upon consent of the trustee or a person holding an adverse interest. (P) “ Property ” means anything or any interest in anything that may be the subject of ownership. (Q) “ Qualified beneficiary ” means a beneficiary to whom, on the date the beneficiary's qualification is determined,

any of the following applies: (1) The beneficiary is a distributee or permissible distributee of trust income or principal. (2) The beneficiary would be a distributee or permissible distributee of trust income

or principal if the interests of the distributees described in division (Q)(1) of

this section terminated on that date, but the termination of those interests would

not cause the trust to terminate. (3) The beneficiary would be a distributee or permissible distributee of trust income

or principal if the trust terminated on that date. (R) “ Revocable ,” as applied to a trust, means revocable at the time of determination by the settlor

alone or by the settlor with the consent of any person other than a person holding

an adverse interest.  A trust's characterization as revocable is not affected by the settlor's lack of

capacity to exercise the power of revocation, regardless of whether an agent of the

settlor under a power of attorney, or a guardian of the person or estate of the settlor,

is serving. (S) “ Settlor ” means a person, including a testator, who creates, or contributes property to, a

trust.  If more than one person creates or contributes property to a trust, each person

is a settlor of the portion of the trust property attributable to that person's contribution

except to the extent another person has the power to revoke or withdraw that portion. (T) “ Spendthrift provision ” means a term of a trust that restrains both voluntary and involuntary transfer of

a beneficiary's interest. (U) “ State ” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of

Puerto Rico, a territory or possession of the United States, or an Indian tribe or

band recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state. (V) “ Terms of a trust ” means the manifestation of the settlor's intent regarding a trust's provisions as

expressed in the trust instrument or as may be established by other evidence that

would be admissible in a judicial proceeding. (W) “ Trust instrument ” means an instrument executed by the settlor that contains terms of the trust and

any amendments to that instrument. (X) “ Trustee ” includes an original, additional, and successor trustee and a cotrustee. (Y)(1) “ Wholly discretionary trust ” means a trust to which all of the following apply: (a) The trust is irrevocable. (b) Distributions of income or principal from the trust may or shall be made to or for

the benefit of the beneficiary only at the trustee's discretion. (c) The beneficiary does not have a power of withdrawal from the trust. (d) The terms of the trust use “sole,” “absolute,” “uncontrolled,” or language of similar

import to describe the trustee's discretion to make distributions to or for the benefit

of the beneficiary. (e) The terms of the trust do not provide any standards to guide the trustee in exercising

its discretion to make distributions to or for the benefit of the beneficiary. (f) The beneficiary is not the settlor, the trustee, or a cotrustee. (g) The beneficiary does not have the power to become the trustee or a cotrustee. (2) A trust may be a wholly discretionary trust with respect to one or more but less

than all beneficiaries. (3) If a beneficiary has a power of withdrawal, the trust may be a wholly discretionary

trust with respect to that beneficiary during any period in which the beneficiary

may not exercise the power.  During a period in which the beneficiary may exercise the power, both of the following

apply: (a) The portion of the trust the beneficiary may withdraw may not be a wholly discretionary

trust with respect to that beneficiary; (b) The portion of the trust the beneficiary may not withdraw may be a wholly discretionary

trust with respect to that beneficiary. (4) If the beneficiary and one or more others have made contributions to the trust, the

portion of the trust attributable to the beneficiary's contributions may not be a

wholly discretionary trust with respect to that beneficiary, but the portion of the

trust attributable to the contributions of others may be a wholly discretionary trust

with respect to that beneficiary.  If a beneficiary has a power of withdrawal, then upon the lapse, release, or waiver

of the power, the beneficiary is treated as having made contributions to the trust

only to the extent the value of the property affected by the lapse, release, or waiver

exceeds the greatest of the following amounts: (a) The amount specified in section 2041(b)(2) or 2514(e) of the Internal Revenue Code ; (b) If the donor of the property subject to the beneficiary's power of withdrawal is

not married at the time of the transfer of the property to the trust, the amount specified

in section 2503(b) of the Internal Revenue Code ; (c) If the donor of the property subject to the beneficiary's power of withdrawal is

married at the time of the transfer of the property to the trust, twice the amount

specified in section 2503(b) of the Internal Revenue Code . (5) Notwithstanding divisions (Y)(1)(f) and (g) of this section, a trust may be a wholly

discretionary trust if the beneficiary is, or has the power to become, a trustee only

with respect to the management or the investment of the trust assets, and not with

respect to making discretionary distribution decisions.  With respect to a trust established for the benefit of an individual who is blind

or disabled as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1382c(a)(2) or (3) , as amended, a wholly discretionary trust may include either or both of the following: (a) Precatory language regarding its intended purpose of providing supplemental goods

and services to or for the benefit of the beneficiary, and not to supplant benefits

from public assistance programs; (b) A prohibition against providing food and shelter to the beneficiary.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ohio § 5801.01

What does Ohio Revised Code § 5801.01 cover?

Section 5801.01 is part of the Ohio Revised Code, the codified statutory law of Ohio. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

How do I cite Ohio § 5801.01?

A common citation format is "Ohio Revised Code § 5801.01" (Ohio). Legal writing may require the code abbreviation, section number, and year or edition. Match the style required by your court, professor, or publisher.

Is this the official text of Ohio law?

No. This page is for research and education and may not include the most recent amendments. For official current law, check the Ohio official source linked on this page or consult a licensed Ohio attorney.

How does Ohio § 5801.01 apply to my situation?

Statutes are interpreted in context, and application depends on your specific facts. Only a licensed attorney in Ohio can advise on how this section applies to you. Contact your state or local bar association for a referral.

Sources & Verification

Not legal advice. Verify against the official source and consult a licensed attorney in Ohio.