Pennsylvania § 7744 - Discretionary trusts; effect of standard - UTC 504.

§ 7744. Discretionary trusts; effect of standard - UTC 504.

(a) (Reserved).

(b) Distribution not compelled.--Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c), whether or not a trust contains a spendthrift provision, a creditor of a beneficiary may not compel a distribution that is subject to the trustee's discretion, even if:

(1) the discretion is expressed in the form of a standard of distribution;

(2) the trustee has abused the discretion; or

(3) the beneficiary is the trustee or a cotrustee of the trust.

(c) Exception.--To the extent a trustee has not complied with a standard of distribution or has abused a discretion:

(1) a distribution from the trust's income, principal or both may be ordered by the court to satisfy a judgment or court order against the beneficiary for support or maintenance of the beneficiary's child to the extent of the beneficiary's interests in the trust's income, principal or both, and the court shall direct the trustee to pay the child from the trust an amount as is equitable under the circumstances, but not more than the amount the trustee would have been required to distribute to or for the benefit of the beneficiary had the trustee complied with the standard or not abused the discretion; and

(2) a distribution from trust income may be ordered by the court to satisfy a judgment or court order against the beneficiary for support or maintenance of any person other than the beneficiary's child to the extent of the beneficiary's interest in the income of the trust, and the court shall direct the trustee to pay the person an amount from the income of the trust as is equitable under the circumstances, but not more than the amount of income the trustee would have been required to distribute to or for the benefit of the beneficiary had the trustee complied with the standard or not abused the discretion.

(d) Proceeding against trustee.--This section does not limit the right of a beneficiary to maintain a judicial proceeding against a trustee for an abuse of discretion or failure to comply with a standard for distribution.

(e) (Reserved).

(f) Definition.--As used in this section, the term "child" includes any person for whom an order or judgment for child support has been entered in this Commonwealth or another state.

Cross References. Section 7744 is referred to in section 7745 of this title.