The Wisconsin basic will with trust includes the following mandatory clauses:

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Terms Used In Wisconsin Statutes 853.61

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Following: when used by way of reference to any statute section, means the section next following that in which the reference is made. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Minor: means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years, except that for purposes of investigating or prosecuting a person who is alleged to have violated a state or federal criminal law or any civil law or municipal ordinance, "minor" does not include a person who has attained the age of 17 years. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • State: when applied to states of the United States, includes the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the several territories organized by Congress. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Testator: A male person who leaves a will at death.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
   (1)   Ineffective disposition. If, at the termination of any trust created in the Wisconsin basic will with trust, there is no effective disposition of the remaining trust assets, then the trustee shall distribute those assets to the testator‘s then living heirs at law, their identities and respective shares to be determined as though the testator had died on the date of the trust’s termination and according to the laws of the state of Wisconsin then in effect.
   (2)   Powers of trustee.
      (a)    In addition to any powers conferred upon trustees by law, the trustee shall have all the powers listed in ss. 701.0815 and 701.0816.
      (b)    In addition to the powers granted in par. (a), the trustee may:
         1.    Hire and pay from the trust the fees of investment advisers, accountants, tax advisers, agents, attorneys and other assistants for the administration of the trust and for the management of any trust asset and for any litigation affecting the trust.
         2.    On any distribution of assets from the trust, the trustee may partition, allot and distribute the assets in kind, including undivided interests in an asset or in any part of it; partly in cash and partly in kind; or entirely in cash. If a distribution is being made to more than one beneficiary, the trustee shall have the discretion to distribute assets among them on a prorated or nonprorated basis, with the assets valued as of the date of distribution.
         3.    The trustee may, upon termination of the trust, distribute assets to a custodian for a minor beneficiary under the uniform gifts to minors act or uniform transfers to minors act of any state. The trustee is free of liability and is discharged from any further accountability for distributing assets in compliance with this section.
   (3)   Trust administrative provisions. The following provisions shall apply to any trust created by a Wisconsin basic will with trust:
      (a)    The interests of trust beneficiaries shall not be transferable by voluntary or involuntary assignment or by operation of law and shall be free from the claims of creditors and from attachment, execution, bankruptcy or other legal process to the fullest extent permissible by law.
      (b)    The trustee shall be entitled to reasonable compensation for ordinary and extraordinary services, and for all services in connection with the complete or partial termination of any trust created by this will.
      (c)    All persons who have any interest in a trust under a Wisconsin basic will with trust are bound by all discretionary determinations the trustee makes in good faith under the authority granted in the Wisconsin basic will with trust.