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What Is a Trust Protector and When Might You Need One?


Trust Protector

Trust protectors – long popular in offshore trusts set up by high rollers – are growing more common in trusts established here in the U.S. by less affluent folks. A trust protector is someone who is appointed to watch over a trust that will be in effect for a long time and ensure that it is not adversely affected by any changes in the law or circumstances.

There are a number of reasons for appointing a trust protector. Having a protector allows long-term trust to be more flexible and adapt to factual and legal changes. For example, beneficiaries may get divorced or die prematurely or the law may change. A protector can also be helpful if you believe there may be conflict among the beneficiaries and the trustee or if you don’t fully trust the trustee to fulfill your wishes.

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Michael Monteforte, Jr.

Michael Monteforte, Jr.

Founding Attorney

Michael Monteforte, Jr. is the founding attorney of Monteforte Law, P.C., an estate planning and elder law firm in Woburn, Massachusetts. He was admitted to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts in January 2002 and to federal practice in the U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, in March 2006. He has practiced estate planning and elder law in Massachusetts for over twenty years.

Monteforte Law Team

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