In California, Probate Code Sections 15300-15301 protect the principal and income of a spendthrift trust from judgment creditors. A spendthrift trust is one where there is a restraint written the trust instrument to prevent a transfer of a beneficiary’s interest. This protection does not exist with respect to distributions from a spendthrift trust, once the distributions become due and payable (Probate Code Section 15301(b)); it also does not exist with respect to support orders for spousal or child support that exist against the beneficiary of the trust (Probate Code Section 15305).
Further, under Probate Code Section 15306.5, up to 25% (but no more) of the principal of a spendthrift trust may be reached by judgment creditors. Additional rules apply if there are both support orders and judgment creditors, with the general rule being that the support orders have a priority over those of judgment creditors.
The take away is that while spendthrift trusts are useful, they are not 100% bulletproof. Some portion of them will be made available to creditors regardless of the grantor’s intent.