By Matthew A. Quick In the case of Church of the Little Flower v US Bank the Court was asked to reform a trust based upon the doctrine of equitable deviation. The Court held that this doctrine did not apply and the trust could not be reformed. The Court stated that the doctrine of equitable deviation should not apply for the sole reason of further rewarding the beneficiaries, but only in situations where the trust is so inefficient that its continuation would necessarily interfere with the trust's purpose.
The lesson: before executing a trust, ensure the provisions of the trust will properly distribute funds to the beneficiaries.