Court Opinion

ID: 9785681
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 22:16:06.445029+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:36:31.549217
License: Public Domain

VOIGT, Chief Justice,
specially concurring.
[¶ 29] I concur in the result reached by the majority, but I think both the majority opinion and the specially concurring opinion of Justice Burke go too far in addressing the issue of whether or not equity and the common law remain in the arsenal of the district court when faced with questions involving modification of a trust. The majority opinion concludes that the district court retains broad equitable and common law powers to modify a trust, which interpretation may be consistent with Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 4-10-106 (LexisNexis 2007). See supra 123. In his specially concurring opinion, Justice Burke concludes that the modification provisions of the Uniform Trust Code, such as those found in Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 4-10-418(a) (LexisNex-is 2007), preempt the field, leaving no room for modification under equity or the common law. See infro §88. That is certainly a reasonable argument under our rules of statutory construction.
[¶ 30] I would not try to answer this question in this case because the majority opinion's result can be obtained without venturing that far. Under the facts presented, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 4-10-418(a) justifies the district court's conclusion. That is all that has to be said.