An arrangement is a community property trust if one (1) or both spouses transfer property to a trust, that:

(1) Expressly declares that the trust is a Tennessee community property trust;
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 35-17-103

  • Community property: means property owned by a community property trust during the marriage of the settlor spouses. See Tennessee Code 35-17-102
  • Community property trust: means an express trust that complies with §. See Tennessee Code 35-17-102
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Qualified trustee: means either:
    (A) A natural person who is a resident of this state. See Tennessee Code 35-17-102
  • signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
(2) Has at least one (1) trustee who is a qualified trustee whose powers include, or are limited to, maintaining records for the trust on an exclusive or a nonexclusive basis and preparing or arranging for the preparation of, on an exclusive or a nonexclusive basis, any income tax returns that must be filed by the trust. Both spouses or either spouse may be a trustee;
(3) Is signed by both spouses; and
(4) Contains the following language in capital letters at the beginning of the trust:

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS TRUST MAY BE VERY EXTENSIVE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, YOUR RIGHTS WITH YOUR SPOUSE BOTH DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR MARRIAGE AND AT THE TIME OF A DIVORCE. ACCORDINGLY, THIS AGREEMENT SHOULD ONLY BE SIGNED AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AGREEMENT, YOU SHOULD SEEK COMPETENT ADVICE.

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