---
title: O.C.G.A. § 53-12-81. Limitations on creditors’ rights to discretionary distributions.
collection: code
id: 53-12-81
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 53-12-81 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/53-12-81
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/53-12-81.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/53-12-81/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t52-t53-(v40)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=5e4f6f40_0#page=102
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/53-12.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/53-12-80.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/53-12-82.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: WILLS, TRUSTS, AND ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES / TRUSTS / SPENDTHRIFT PROVISIONS AND CREDITORS’ RIGHTS AND CLAIMS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 53-12-81. Limitations on creditors’ rights to discretionary distributions.

A transferee or creditor of a beneficiary shall not compel the trustee or a trust director to pay any amount that is payable only in the discretion of the trustee or trust director regardless of whether the discretion is expressed in the form of a standard of distribution, including, but not limited to, health, education, maintenance, and support, and whether such trustee or trust director is also a beneficiary. This Code section shall not apply to the extent of the portion of trust property of which such beneficiary is the donor.

## History

Code 1981, § 53-12-81, enacted by Ga. L. 2010, p. 579, § 1/SB 131; Ga. L. 2018, p. 262, § 12/HB 121; Ga. L. 2020, p. 377, § 1-78/HB 865; Ga. L. 2025, p. 806, § 74/HB 327, effective July 1, 2025.

## Amendments

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, substituted “portion of trust property of which such beneficiary is the donor” for “proportion of trust property attributable to the beneficiary’s contribution” in the second sentence.