Delaware Case Regarding the Unclean Hands Doctrine

Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP sent out a Delaware Trusts, Estates, & Tax Law Newsletter (Oct. 2010). The newsletter addresses a new Delaware case relating to the Doctrine of Unclean Hands. The introduction is below:

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery opinion used the doctrine of unclean hands to bar a trust beneficiary from claiming a personal economic interest in a trust. The opinion was issued in response to a Petition for Construction filed by a co-trustee of the subject trust, who had adopted her ex-husband so that he would become a beneficiary of the trust.