---
title: "Map who controls the trust: trustee, successor and beneficiaries"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/trusts-and-estate-planning/map-control-appointor-guardian-trustee-and-default-beneficiaries/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A19-A20260923-3-US"
practice_area: "Trusts & Estate Planning"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Map who controls the trust: trustee, successor and beneficiaries

> List the settlor, the acting trustee, any person the deed names to appoint or remove a trustee, and the beneficiaries the deed names. Use the deed's own titles for those offices.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/trusts-and-estate-planning/map-control-appointor-guardian-trustee-and-default-beneficiaries/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Trusts & Estate Planning](https://ailawframework.com/practice/trusts-and-estate-planning.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | List the settlor, the acting trustee, any person the deed names to appoint or remove a trustee, and the beneficiaries the deed names. Use the deed's own titles for those offices. |
| What the lawyer must review | Uniform Trust Code § 704 is a model vacancy rule, and only if the state has enacted it and the deed does not already say how a vacancy is filled. A vacancy occurs if a designated trustee rejects, cannot be identified, resigns, is disqualified or removed, dies, or has a guardian or conservator appointed. If a cotrustee remains, the vacancy need not be filled. If none remains, a noncharitable trust is filled by the person the terms designate, then by unanimous agreement of the qualified beneficiaries, then by the court. Charitable trusts follow the different order in § 704(d). The Australian titles appointor and guardian are not Code offices. Read the deed for the person who holds that power. Section 801's duty to administer starts on acceptance, not before. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Map control: appointor, guardian, trustee and default beneficiaries](https://ailawframework.com/practice/trusts-and-estate-planning/map-control-appointor-guardian-trustee-and-default-beneficiaries.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: List the settlor, the acting trustee, any person the deed names to appoint or remove a trustee, and the beneficiaries the deed names. Use the deed's own titles for those offices.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- Do not rename a deed office as an appointor. Quote the deed's word.
- Do not treat § 704 as enacted in the state until you check.

## Sources

- [Uniform Trust Code (Uniform Law Commission, last revised 2003)](https://www.uniformlaws.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=6bae0bb2-00ea-8080-d084-5be9ef7bbc66&forceDialog=0) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [ABA Formal Opinion 512, Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools (29 July 2024)](https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/ethics-opinions/aba-formal-opinion-512.pdf) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [ABA Model Rule 1.1, Competence](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_1_1_competence/) (checked 2026-10-22)

## Forms and precedents for this task

| Form or precedent | Kind | AI level | Summary |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Deed of appointment of new trustee and retirement of existing trustee (discretionary or unit trust)](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/trusts-and-estate-planning/deed-of-appointment-and-retirement-of-trustee.md) | Deed | Yellow | A deed by which the person holding the power of appointment appoints a new trustee in place of a retiring trustee, with the retiring trustee's release and handover, the new trustee's acceptance, and… |
| [Trust funding checklist (United States)](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/trusts-and-estate-planning/us-trust-funding-checklist.md) | Checklist | Yellow | A post-signing list for moving assets into a US trust, separating state deed formalities from beneficiary forms and from FIRPTA when a foreign grantor later sells. |
| [Deed of change of appointor (and guardian) of a discretionary trust](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/trusts-and-estate-planning/deed-of-change-of-appointor-and-guardian.md) | Deed | Yellow | A deed recording the retirement or replacement of the appointor (and, if the deed has one, the guardian) of a discretionary trust under the power in the trust deed, with recitals proving the power,… |
| [Asset and ownership table for a trust (United States)](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/trusts-and-estate-planning/us-asset-ownership-table.md) | Checklist | Yellow | A table of each asset, who owns it today, which document shows that, and whether a foreign grantor would matter under the IRS FIRPTA page on a later sale. |
| [Trust control and signature map (United States)](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/trusts-and-estate-planning/us-trust-control-and-signature-map.md) | Checklist | Yellow | A map of who may sign for the trust, drawn from the trust document, with state trustee rules and the IRS grantor example left as open citations. |

Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*