What is required to create a valid trust?

Creating a valid trust requires three essential elements: a clear intent to create the trust, identifiable beneficiaries, and a specific trust corpus. This means that the person establishing the trust must express their intention to set a trust in a way that conveys their purpose. Additionally, the beneficiaries must be clearly defined, ensuring that it is apparent who will benefit from the trust. Lastly, there needs to be a specific trust corpus, which refers to the property or assets that are placed into the trust.

Having these elements in place is crucial because they provide the framework needed to govern how the trust operates, who it benefits, and what assets are involved. This structure is fundamental to the legal validity of the trust and helps prevent disputes that could arise due to ambiguity or lack of clarity regarding the trust's terms.

Other options do not encompass all the necessary elements required to establish a valid trust. For example, a will and witnesses pertain to the creation of a will rather than a trust, while a written document signed only by the beneficiary does not establish any intent from the trust maker. An oral agreement may create informal arrangements in some situations, but it typically does not offer the legal certainty needed to uphold a trust. Thus, the comprehensive criteria outlined in the chosen option correctly encaps