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.
It depends upon how the trust is written. Generally, yes.
The biggest difference between the trusts is that the Living Trust is revocable and can be changed over time. For detailed information visit: http://www.ultratrust.com/revocable-trusts-vs-irrevocable-trusts.html
Trust law is one of the most complex areas of law. It depends on the instrument that creates the trust. You need to discuss this question with an attorney who specializes in trust law. Generally a trust set forth in a will is revocable by the testator during her life and irrevocable after her death.
You can get information on what a irrevocable trust is at the following sites I found for you to have a look at www.dummies.com/.../revocable-versus-irrevocable-trusts.htm ,en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust_law
That means the provisions of the trust agreement cannot be changed.
Yes. There are two types of trusts, living (intervivos) and testamentary. The living trust is created by a living person(called the settlor or trustor). The testamentary trust is created by the will of a deceased person. Living trusts are designated as either revocable or irrevocable depending on the authority of the settlor. If the settlor has the power to cancel or revoke the trust, it is a revocable trust. If the settlor has no power to revoke it then it is an irrevocable trust. Since the revocable/irrevocable distinction is determined by what the settlor can do while he or she is alive, the trust had to have been made during the settlor's lifetime. Hence, an irrevocable trust is a living trust. On the other hand a trust that is set forth in a person's will is revocable during the life of the testator simply by a modification of the will through a codicil. Once the testator has died that trust becomes irrevocable.
You CAN get the assets back in a revocable trust. You CANNOT get the assets back in an irrevocable trust. An irrevocable trust cannot be terminated by the settler once it has been created. The settler transfers their assets into the trust and no longer has any rights of ownership in that property or the trust. The main reasons for setting up an irrevocable trust are estate planning and tax purposes. Generally, assets in an irrevocable trust are shielded from creditors.
it remains a grantor trust
Revoking a trust means it goes back to the grantor. Who is, in your example, deceased.I trust (no pun intended ... well, maybe a little bit) you see the problem here.Essentially, the distinction between a revocable and irrevocable trust vanishes when the grantor dies.
A revocable trust can be revoked by its maker at any time. An irrevocable trust cannot be revoked.
An irrevocable trust is one in which the settlor (or creator) of the trust does not retain any control of the trust, and thus the trust cannot be amended. The reason that an individual would chose to create an irrevocable rather than revocable trust is that the money cannot be touched by creditors or anyone else. There are also money-saving benefits to the creation of an irrevocable trust primarily relating to probate fees and taxes.
If the irrevocable trust is properly drafted and is not, in fact, a grantor-owned revocable trust, then it should have its own unique Taxpayer Identification Number ("TIN").