Nov 08, 2013 2:03 AM

Here's an excerpt from the Waters 'Law of trusts in Canada' text:

" SPECIAL trusts can be further divided into those where the trustee duties are MINISTERIAL or administrative, and those where they are DISCRETIONARY or DISPOSITIVE. Ministerial or ADMINISTRATIVE duties are those involved in the RUNNING OF the trust, for example the keeping of accounts, hiring agents like SOLICITORS and VALUERS. Discretionary duties may be dispositive in the case of the POWER to maintain out of income, or to ENCROACH on capital, for a beneficiary with a FIXED CONTINGENT capital interest, or DISTRIBUTIVE, as with a POWER OF APPOINTMENT. Distributive powers given to trustees require them to ALLOCATE the trust property among class appointees of the power. The power may be a TRUST POWER, or, a MERE power."