Can a Charity be a Qualified Beneficiary of a Florida Trust?

Who can be a beneficiary of an Orlando or Boca Raton trust? Can a charity be a qualified beneficiary of a trust in Florida? What is Florida Statute 736.0110 ? If you are deemed to be a qualified beneficiary of a trust, what rights do you have? What are beneficiaries of trusts in Florida entitled to? A recent Fourth DCA opinion, Hadassah v. Melcer, discusses this issue. 

Here, three sisters dispute whether several charities are “qualified beneficiaries” of the trust under the Florida Trust Code. The trial court ruled that the charities were NOT qualified beneficiaries. This means that the charities would not be entitled to accounting etc. However, the Fourth DCA disagreed and reversed. The Fourth DCA found that, under Florida Statute 736.0110, the charities are qualified beneficiaries. This means that the trustee is required to “inform and account” to the charities. To read the entire case, click here.