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HRS §554D-807

Trustee's Power to Delegate Duties and Agent Responsibilities

A trustee can hand off some jobs to an agent if a careful trustee would do so. The trustee must pick the agent carefully, set clear terms, and check on the agent's work. The agent must follow the terms, and the trustee is not liable for the agent's actions if the trustee followed the rules.

beneficiariescourtstrustees

The statute, as written — Delegation by trustee

(a) A trustee may delegate duties and powers that a prudent trustee of comparable skills could properly delegate under the circumstances. The trustee shall exercise reasonable care, skill, and caution in: (1) Selecting an agent; (2) Establishing the scope and terms of the delegation, consistent with the purposes and terms of the trust; and (3) Periodically reviewing the agent's actions to monitor the agent's performance and compliance with the terms of the delegation. (b) In performing a delegated function, an agent owes a duty to the trust to exercise reasonable care to comply with the terms of the delegation. (c) A trustee who complies with subsection (a) shall not be liable to the beneficiaries or to the trust for an action of the agent to whom the function was delegated. (d) By accepting a delegation of powers or duties from the trustee of a trust that is subject to the law of this State, an agent submits to the jurisdiction of the courts of this State, even if the agency agreement provides otherwise, and the agent may be made a party to any action or proceeding if the issues relate to a decision, action, or inaction of the agent. (e) Upon petition of a qualified beneficiary, after notice to all qualified beneficiaries, the trustee, and the agent of the trustee, the court may review the employment of any agent by the trustee and the reasonableness of the agent's compensation. Any agent who is found to have received excess compensation from a trust may be ordered to make appropriate refunds.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.