Wright

I. INTRODUCTION

James David Tufft and Mary Louise Tufft,1 a married couple, executed a revocable trust in 1997. They were co-trustees of the trust and they signed the trust instrument in that capacity. All the property transferred to the trust was James’s separate property, and James alone signed the trust instrument as grantor. James and Mary had no children together during their marriage. At the time the trust was executed, it provided that if no successor trustee was appointed prior to the death of the surviving spouse, then James’s two daughters, including respondent Margaret Elizabeth Tufft, would be appointed successor co-trustees. James’s two daughters were also named as beneficiaries

1 For clarity and convenience, we will refer to James David Tufft and Mary Louise Tufft by their first names. We will also refer to Mary’s daughter, appellant Linda A. Wright, and James’s daughter, respondent Margaret Elizabeth Tufft, by their first names for clarity and convenience. of the trust estate after he and Mary died. The trust further stated that Mary’s three daughters, including appellant Linda A. Wright, would receive nothing from the trust estate. James died in 2002. Shortly…