Merger Doctrine in Trust Law Law and Legal Definition
Merger doctrine is a legal doctrine used in different areas of law. In general, merger doctrines are applied to seek fairness and equality between two entities. In trust law, merger doctrine is used to mix both equitable and legal titles if a person becomes the sole beneficiary and sole trustee of a trust. Pursuant to such doctrine, a trust is deemed to be terminated. Consequently, the beneficiary owns the trust property outright. This sort of doctrine would be applicable to those who wish to name a sole benefactor in their will.