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Review of Reviews: “Sherlock Holmes and the Problem of the Dead Hand: The Modification And Termination of ‘Irrevocable’ Trusts,” 28 Quinnipiac Pro. L. J. 237-301 (2015)Review of Reviews: “Sherlock Holmes and the Problem of the Dead Hand: The Modification And Termination of ‘Irrevocable’ Trusts,” 28 Quinnipiac Pro. L. J. 237-301 (2015)
Richard C. Ausness, Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Everett Metcalf, Jr. Professor of Law, University of Kentucky College of Law, Lexington, Ky.
![Review of Reviews: “Sherlock Holmes and the Problem of the Dead Hand: The Modification And Termination of ‘Irrevocable’ Trusts,” 28 Quinnipiac Pro. L. Review of Reviews: “Sherlock Holmes and the Problem of the Dead Hand: The Modification And Termination of ‘Irrevocable’ Trusts,” 28 Quinnipiac Pro. L.](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/bltabaa95ef14172c61/bltcb3da4ecfc695b28/6733818dff9e73aa51bbac51/feb-ror_2.jpg?width=1280&auto=webp&quality=95&format=jpg&disable=upscale)
Advisors often address inquiries from both trustees and beneficiaries as to how an irrevocable trust can be updated, amended or even dissolved to reflect the current needs of those involved. The answers to these questions are extremely individualized and often complex, being ultimately determined too many times in the courts. While there’s little reference here to Sherlock Holmes (despite the title), Professor Richard C. Ausness does a thorough job of documenting how the “dead hand” of settlors has dominated irrevocable trust court rulings to date, and he proposes that it’s time for the influence of “long-dead ancestors” to be limited.
In his article, Prof. Ausness identifies a need for more clarity in the area of irrevocable trust modif...
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