Court Opinion

ID: 9785682
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 22:16:06.446898+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:36:31.549703
License: Public Domain

BURKE, Justice,
specially concurring.
[¶ 31] I concur with the result reached by the majority and agree with the conclusion that the factual findings of the district court were not clearly erroneous. The district court's allocation of assets and Habilities between the family and marital trusts was within the proper exercise of the court's discretion as restricted by the language of the trust documents. I write separately, however, because I question the majority's reliance on common law principles as support for the authority of the district court to modify a trust agreement.
[¶ 32] The majority opinion suggests that a court may modify the terms of a trust pursuant to the court's statutory authority and its equitable or common law powers. Supra, §23. The Uniform Trust Code, as adopted in Wyoming, allows modification under specific cireumstances. See Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 4-10-411 through -417. The majority specifically references Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 4-10-418, which states in pertinent part:
(a) The court may modify the administrative or dispositive terms of a trust or terminate the trust if, because of cireum-stances not anticipated by the settler, modification or termination will further the purposes of the trust. To the extent practicable, the modification shall be made in *329accordance with the settlor's probable intention.
[¶ 33] Another provision of Wyoming's Uniform Trust Code, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 4-10-106, states that "[the common law of trusts and principles of equity supplement this act, except to the extent modified by this act or another statute of this state." (Emphasis added.) When the provisions of Wyoming's Uniform Trust Code are considered in pari materia, it would appear that the common law relating to modification of trust agreements has been statutorily preempted. I disagree with the majority opinion to the extent that it suggests otherwise.