Del. Code tit. 12 § 3345

Current through 2024 Legislative Session Act Chapter 510
Section 3345 - Beneficiary well-being trust
(a) This section applies to any trust the governing instrument of which makes express reference to this section and states that this section, or any part of this section, shall apply. A trust that makes such a reference to this section is known as a "Beneficiary Well-Being Trust" and is deemed to include the powers, duties, rights, and interests of the beneficiaries, trustees, and advisers, within the meaning of "advisers" under § 3313 of this title, as provided in this section.
(b) As used in this section, "beneficiary well-being programs" means seminars, courses, programs, workshops, counselors, personal coaches, short-term university programs, group or one-on-one meetings, counseling, family meetings, family retreats, family reunions, and custom programs, all of which having one or more of the following purposes:
(1) Preparing each generation of beneficiaries for inheriting wealth by providing the beneficiaries individually or as a group with multi-generational estate and asset planning, assistance with navigating inter-generational asset transfers, developing wealth management and money skills, financial literacy and acumen, business fundamentals, entrepreneurship, knowledge of family businesses, and philanthropy.
(2) Educating beneficiaries about the beneficiaries' family history, the family's values, family governance, family dynamics, family mental health and well-being, and connection among family members.
(c) The trustees and advisers of a Beneficiary Well-Being Trust shall provide the beneficiaries individually or as a group with beneficiary well-being programs at such times and in such manner as set forth in the provisions of the governing instrument, or in the absence of such provisions, then at such times and in such manner as the trustee may determine is appropriate, in accordance with § 3315 of this title.
(d) Subject to the fiduciary duties and authority of the trustees and advisers under the governing instrument and applicable law, the trustees and advisers of a Beneficiary Well-Being Trust shall pay from the trust the costs and expenses of beneficiary well-being programs.
(1) The payments under this subsection are an expense of administration of the trust to the extent permitted by law.
(2) A trustee itself may provide beneficiary well-being programs, and may select, hire, retain, and pay providers of beneficiary well-being programs whether or not the providers are third parties or affiliates of the trustee within the meaning of § 3312 of this Title.
(3) Each provider of beneficiary well-being programs is entitled to payment for providing a beneficiary well-being program, and a trustee is entitled to the full fiduciary compensation to which the trustee is otherwise entitled as trustee without diminution for the fees and costs of the beneficiary well-being program, without prior notice or disclosure to any beneficiary of the trust.
(e) To effectuate this section, the governing instrument may provide for additional powers, duties, rights, and interests that may expand the purpose or scope of a beneficiary well-being program.

12 Del. C. § 3345

Added by Laws 2023, ch. 391,s 7, eff. 8/29/2024.
Section 9 of the 2024 enacting legislation provides that the act is effective on enactment and applies to trusts whenever created.