Nevada Code § 163.00195

Enforcement of no-contest clauses; exceptions
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1. Except as otherwise provided in
subsection 4, a no-contest clause in a trust must be enforced, to the greatest
extent possible, by the court according to the terms expressly stated in the
no-contest clause without regard to the presence or absence of probable cause
for, or the good faith or bad faith of the beneficiary in, taking the action
prohibited by the no-contest clause. A no-contest clause in a trust must be
enforced by the court because public policy favors enforcing the intent of the
settlor.
2. No extrinsic evidence is admissible to
establish the settlors intent concerning the no-contest clause to the extent
such intent is clear and unambiguous. The provisions of this subsection do not
prohibit extrinsic evidence from being admitted for any other purpose
authorized by law.
3. Except as otherwise provided in
subsection 4, a beneficiarys share may be reduced or eliminated under a
no-contest clause based upon conduct that is set forth by the settlor in the
trust. Such conduct may include, without limitation:
(a) Conduct other than formal court action; and
(b) Conduct which is unrelated to the trust
itself, including, without limitation:
(1) The commencement of civil litigation
against the settlors probate estate or family members;
(2) Interference with the administration
of another trust or a business entity;
(3) Efforts to frustrate the intent of the
settlors power of attorney; and
(4) Efforts to frustrate the designation
of beneficiaries related to a nonprobate transfer by the settlor.
4. Notwithstanding any provision to the
contrary in the trust, a no-contest clause in a trust must not be enforced by a
court and a beneficiarys share must not be reduced or eliminated under a
no-contest clause in a trust because:
(a) A beneficiary acts to:
(1) Enforce the clear and unambiguous
terms of the trust, a transfer of property into the trust, any document
referenced in or affected by the trust, or any other trust-related instrument;
(2) Enforce the legal rights of the
beneficiary that provide the beneficiary standing as related to:
(I) The trust;
(II) A transfer of property into the
trust;
(III) Any document referenced in or
affected by the trust; or
(IV) Any other trust-related
instrument;
(3) Obtain court instruction with respect
to the proper administration of the trust or the construction or legal effect
of the trust, a transfer of property into the trust, any document referenced in
or affected by the trust, or any other trust-related instrument; or
(4) Enforce the fiduciary duties of the
trustee.
(b) The court determines by clear and convincing
evidence that the conduct of the beneficiary was:
(1) A product of coercion or undue
influence; or
(2) Caused by the lack of sufficient
mental capacity to knowingly engage in the conduct.
(c) A beneficiary acts as a trustee or a
protector of the trust to exercise a power set forth in the trust, including,
without limitation:
(1) Reforming, modifying or decanting the
trust;
(2) Removing or replacing a trustee;
(3) Making or withholding distributions
from the trust; or
(4) Exercising any other discretionary
power.
(d) A beneficiary or any other interested person
enters into an agreement to settle a dispute or resolve any other matter
relating to the trust.
(e) A beneficiary institutes legal action seeking
to invalidate a trust, the transfer of property into a trust, any document
referenced in or affected by the trust, or any other trust-related instrument
if the legal action is instituted and maintained in good faith and based on
probable cause. For the purposes of this paragraph, legal action is based on
probable cause where, based upon the facts and circumstances available to the
beneficiary who commences such legal action, a reasonable person, properly
informed and advised, would conclude that the trust, the transfer of property
into the trust, any document referenced in or affected by the trust or any
other trust-related instrument is invalid.
(f) Unless the trust expressly provides
otherwise, a settlor is also a beneficiary of the trust.
5. Where a beneficiary takes action,
asserts a cause of action or asserts a request for relief and such action or
assertion violates a no-contest clause in a trust, this section must not
prevent the enforcement of the no-contest clause unless the action, cause of
action or request for relief claims one of the exceptions to enforcement set
forth in subsection 4.
6. Except as otherwise provided in
subsection 4, subject to the discretion of the trustee:
(a) A trustee may suspend distributions to a
beneficiary to the extent that, under a no-contest provision, the conduct of
the beneficiary may cause the reduction or elimination of the interest of the
beneficiary in the trust.
(b) Until a court determines whether the interest
of the beneficiary in the trust has been reduced or eliminated, a trustee may:
(1) Resume distributions that were
suspended pursuant to paragraph (a) at any time; or
(2) Continue to suspend those
distributions.
(c) To the extent that a beneficiary has received
distributions before engaging in conduct that potentially would have caused the
reduction or elimination of the interest of the beneficiary in the trust under
a no-contest clause, a trustee may seek reimbursement from the beneficiary or
may offset those distributions.
7. A no-contest clause applies to an
amendment to the trust or trust-related document even if the no-contest clause
was not expressly incorporated in such an amendment.
8. As used in this section:
(a) No-contest clause means one or more
provisions in a trust that express a directive to reduce or eliminate the share
allocated to a beneficiary or to reduce or eliminate the distributions to be
made to a beneficiary if the beneficiary takes action to frustrate or defeat
the settlors intent as expressed in the trust or in a trust-related
instrument. The term does not include:
(1) Provisions in a trust that shift or
apportion attorneys fees and costs incurred by the trust against the share
allocated to a beneficiary who has asserted an unsuccessful claim, defense or
objection;
(2) Provisions in a trust that permit a
trustee to delay distributions to a beneficiary;
(3) Provisions in a trust that require the
arbitration of disputes involving the trust;
(4) A forum selection clause in the trust;
or
(5) Provisions in a trust that make a
devise conditional or specify conditions or actions pursuant to NRS 163.558 .
(b) Trust means the original trust instrument
and each amendment made pursuant to the terms of the original trust instrument.
(c) Trust-related instrument means any document
purporting to transfer property to or from the trust or any document made
pursuant to the terms of the trust purporting to direct the distribution of
trust assets or to affect the management of trust assets, including, without
limitation, documents that attempt to exercise a power of appointment.

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