Successor trustee

What successor trustee means

In practice, you will see successor trustee in pleadings, motions, orders and court rules. The definition above explains the general meaning. Even so, the meaning can shift with context. Therefore, always read it alongside the rule or document where it appears.

Where successor trustee comes up

The term is used across many kinds of cases. For example, you may see it in pleadings, motions and court orders. To see it in context, browse the motions and procedures library or the Learn the Law topics.

Read the source: Trustee.

How to research the term

Start with the primary source. For example, if successor trustee appears in a federal rule, read the rule itself and its official notes. After that, check your court’s local rules and any standing orders from the judge. In addition, search recent decisions from your own state or federal district. They show how courts read successor trustee in practice. Because state rules often differ, our state procedures guide links to each state’s official rules. Above all, make sure the version you read is still in force.

You can read the current federal court rules online for free.

Related legal terms

• Subpoena duces tecum: a subpoena that requires the person to produce documents or other things.
• Subrogation: the substitution of one party into another party's legal rights after paying that party's loss. For example, an insurer that pays a policyholder for crash damage may then sue the at-fault driver to recover what it paid. Subrogation rights can come from a contract, a statute or equity.
• Subrogee: the party that steps into another party's rights through subrogation, usually an insurer that has paid a claim. The party whose rights are taken over is the subrogor.
• Substantive due process: the doctrine that the Due Process Clauses protect certain fundamental rights from government interference regardless of the procedures used, such as rights relating to marriage and raising children.

Why precise terms matter

Courts read legal terms closely. As a result, knowing the exact meaning of a word helps you follow orders, rules and filings. Each glossary entry on Lawtopolis is short on purpose and links to the pages where the term is used.