In the S Trust example, the modification to allow distributions to Y would be consistent with which doctrine?

• A. The Claflin Doctrine
• B. The Cy Pres doctrine
• C. The Rule Against Perpetuities
• D. The Charitable Trust Doctrine

Answer: (A)

The situation tests how a trust can be adjusted to carry out the settlor’s intent when sticking rigidly to the original terms would frustrate the trust’s purpose. The Claflin Doctrine lets a private trust be modified or even terminated to prevent a waste or failure of the trust when unforeseen circumstances make strict adherence impractical, as long as the modification aligns with the settlor’s overall intent and preserves the beneficiaries’ interests.

Applying that here, allowing distributions to Y fits the idea of preserving the trust’s purpose rather than letting it stagnate under inflexible terms. It represents a flexible adjustment that keeps the trust functioning in a way the settlor likely would have approved, rather than forcing adherence to the exact original terms that no longer serve the intended outcome.

Cy Pres governs charitable trusts and lets a court redirect a charitable gift to a near-alternative purpose or beneficiary when the original cannot be fulfilled, which isn’t the private-trust situation described. The Rule Against Perpetuities focuses on when interests must vest and is not a mechanism for altering who may benefit. The Charitable Trust Doctrine relates to charitable trusts’ operation, not to modifying a private trust’s distributions.