The glossary

What is a settlor?

Settlor, grantor, and trustor are three words for the same person: the one who creates a trust and puts assets into it. Arizona's statutes say settlor; tax documents often say grantor; older documents say trustor. Same seat at the table.

In a revocable living trust the settlor typically holds every role at once - settlor, trustee, and lifetime beneficiary - which is why creating one changes nothing about daily life. The settlor's power is total while they live and have capacity: amend, revoke, add, remove.

At the settlor's death the trust locks, the successor trustee takes over, and the document the settlor controlled for years becomes the final word. Every trust conversation is really about making sure that final word says exactly what the settlor meant.

Related reading

Educational information only, not legal advice. Terms have statutory details beyond these summaries - confirm your situation with a licensed professional.

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