Local trusts and forced heirship (Commentary to the “CRO” case) C. R. O. c/C. O. N. y otros s/nulidad de acto jurídico (22 October 2019) Court: Civil and Commercial Law, Chamber of Appeals of Necochea (Buenos Aires Province—Argentina)
Publication: Trusts & Trustees, 2020
Author: Nicolas Malumian
Category: Fideicomiso y Trust
Abstract
This case is a leading case relating to local trusts and forced heirship. Forced heirship is a restriction to the liberty to write a will and determine the destiny of his/her future estate by the testator. It can be found in all South America (not in Latin America from Panama to México) and in most Civil Law countries in Europe, besides similar restrictions under sharia law. The way to avoid these restrictions has been the creation of a foreign trust over foreign assets. Although authors have long analyzed whether a local trust allows the avoidance of local forced heirship rules over local assets, there has been no case law in this respect (at least since the inclusion of the trust in Argentine law in 1995). In short, this is the first time a local trust over local assets has been under the scrutiny of the courts to determine if there is a violation of forced heirship.
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