Warning! An irrevocable trust is not created when the grantor (trustor) is also the trustee. By transferring their property to a trust of which they are the trustee the grantor has retained control over the property. Irrevocable trusts are usually set up for tax purposes. The grantor cannot retain any control over the property in order for the trust to qualify as an irrevocable trust. The trust you describe has failed and left the trust property exposed to creditors and taxes. You need to consult with an attorney who specializes in trust law and tax law.
You cannot have the same person as grantor, trustee and beneficiary in any trust. There is no trust created in such a set up. The grantor in an irrevocable trust cannot be the trustee. The property in an irrevocable trust must be permanently separated from the grantor's control.
The grantor has no control over the assets in an irrevocable trust. Those assets are under the control of the trustee.
In short no, an Irrevocable Trust cant be legally revoked by either party.
Unless the trust has provisions for removal of a trustee then an interested party would need to bring an equity petition to the appropriate court to have the trustee removed and a successor appointed. If there is a substantial amount of money involved you should seek the advice of an attorney and file your petition ASAP.
it remains a grantor trust
In my experience, this would be considered, in layman's terms, a trust in which the grantor, when alive, created a discretionary trust, then the gantor died. Now, the trust is in the hands of the trustee appointed by the grantor, which makes it irrevocable. When the grantor was alive, it was revocable. Now, the complex part usually means that in any given tax period, the trust had distrubutions of principle of some sort. I hope this helps.
In my experience, this would be considered, in layman's terms, a trust in which the grantor, when alive, created a discretionary trust, then the gantor died. Now, the trust is in the hands of the trustee appointed by the grantor, which makes it irrevocable. When the grantor was alive, it was revocable. Now, the complex part usually means that in any given tax period, the trust had distrubutions of principle of some sort. I hope this helps.
A Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT) is an irrevocable trust that allows the grantor to transfer assets to beneficiaries while retaining an annuity interest for a specified period. Once the GRAT is established, the terms cannot be changed or revoked by the grantor.
Yes it is grounds to have trust set aside. Trustee is obligated to repay if found guilty. The question would be was she using the money under the terms of the trust and to benefit the beneficiaries. If not you have a strong case and need to file for a review of the trust.
The grantor of a trust is the owner of property who transfers that property to the trustee of the trust. The grantor no longer owns the property. Once transferred the property is owned by the trust and the trustee has the authority to manage the property according to the provisions of the trust.
There are all kinds of trusts and no single answer. Briefly: A revocable trust can be revoked by the maker (grantor or trustor) during their life. Most trusts automatically convert to an irrevocable trust upon the grantor's death when used in place of a will to transfer property to heirs. Testamentary trusts set forth in a Will are irrevocable after the death of the testator. The provisions can be changed during the life of the testator but cannot be changed after the testator has died. A living person can also create an irrevocable trust. What makes a trust irrevocable is that provisions cannot be amended by the grantor and the grantor cannot revoke the trust and regain possession of or control of the trust property. Anyone contemplating a trust should consult with an attorney who specializes in trust law and who has a good reputation. Trust law is one of the most complex areas of law and is entertwined with tax law.
An irrevocable trust cannot be amended. An example of this is an Oklahoma case in which the Tax Commission could tax a trust created in Oklahoma as a resident domiciled trust even after the grantor and trustee moved to Nevada. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=ok&vol=/appeals/2001/&invol=275718 Often, this is taken into account by a skilled attorney and the irrevocable trust specifically permits the trustee to change the domicilie of the trust.