Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 244.51 (2026)
Estates, trusts, and other beneficial interests
✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases:
SyfertCases citing this section
WI-LEGdocs.legis.wisconsin.gov
JustiaChapter on Justia
CornellLII Search
CasesGoogle Scholar
244.51(1)(1) In this section, “estates, trusts, and other beneficial interests” means a trust, probate estate, guardianship, conservatorship, escrow, or custodianship or a fund from which the principal is, may become, or claims to be, entitled to a share or payment.
244.51(2)(2) Unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, language in a power of attorney granting general authority with respect to estates, trusts, and other beneficial interests authorizes the agent to do all of the following:
244.51(2)(a)(a) Accept, receive, receipt for, sell, assign, pledge, or exchange a share in or payment from an estate, trust, or beneficial interest.
244.51(2)(b)(b) Demand or obtain money or another thing of value to which the principal is, may become, or claims to be, entitled by reason of an estate, trust, or beneficial interest, by litigation or otherwise.
244.51(2)(c)(c) Exercise for the benefit of the principal a presently exercisable general power of appointment held by the principal.
244.51(2)(d)(d) Initiate, participate in, submit to alternative dispute resolution, settle, oppose, or propose or accept a compromise with respect to litigation to ascertain the meaning, validity, or effect of a deed, will, declaration of trust, or other instrument or transaction affecting the interest of the principal.
244.51(2)(e)(e) Initiate, participate in, submit to alternative dispute resolution, settle, oppose, or propose or accept a compromise with respect to litigation to remove, substitute, or surcharge a fiduciary.
244.51(2)(g)(g) Transfer an interest of the principal in real property, stocks and bonds, accounts with financial institutions or securities intermediaries, insurance, annuities, and other property to the trustee of a revocable trust created by the principal as settlor.
244.51(2)(i)(i) Reject, renounce, disclaim, release, or consent to a reduction in or modification of a share in or payment from an estate, trust, or beneficial interest.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 1
case (1 in the last 5 years), 2025–2025 · leading case: Lyon Havlik v. Univ. Of Chicago (N.D. Ill. 2025).
Lyon Havlik v. Univ. Of Chicago (N.D. Ill. 2025). “Wis. Stat. § 244.51 (2)(i). The other provision is more specific and requires the principal to “expressly grant[]” his agent certain authorities; among them are the power to “[w]aive the principal’s right to be a beneficiary of a joint and survivor an- nuity, including a…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.