The beneficiaries can be changed in any trust, revocable or irrevocable. However, in an irrevocable trust, the settlor has that sole right, not the trustees. The trustees, however, must agree to it, but they cannot normally initiate this.
You can nominate a subsequent beneficiary by lodging a nomination form. This form must be completed by the trustee of the discretionary trust or their representative (e.g. solicitor).
Someone who makes it plainly clear that they are not interested in receiving the inheritance that otherwise would have come their way can get out of it by sending a letter that expressly points out that they do not want to receive the assets that they are legally entitled to.
A settlor is the entity that establishes a trust. The settlor goes by several other names: donor, grantor, trustor, and trustmaker. Regardless of what this entity is called, its role is to legally transfer control of an asset to a trustee, who manages it for one or more beneficiaries.
A resettlement occurs when a new 'trust estate' is created 'out of an old trust'.
Execute a Deed of Variation If you wish to remove someone as a beneficiary, you can do so by executing a Deed of Variation. The Deed of Variation must follow the instructions provided in the Trust Deed. The Trust Deed outlines the rules for the trust, including how the trust may be amended.
If your goal is to remove someone as a beneficiary, then you have two options. First, you can redistribute the inheritance among your other beneficiaries. Second, you can name a new beneficiary to take over that portion of your estate. Ultimately, this choice is up to you.
How to terminate a Family Trust? Distribute any capital that is left. Build a Debt Forgiveness Deed to forgive loans and Unpaid Present Entitlements owed to beneficiaries. Prepare any outstanding tax returns. Build and sign the Windup Family Trust Deed and the minutes.
Selecting the wrong trustee is easily the biggest blunder parents can make when setting up a trust fund. As estate planning attorneys, we've seen first-hand how this critical error undermines so many parents' good intentions.