But there is a way around this kind of mess: a new arrangement called a total return unitrust.

FORBES: In growth we trust

Instead of paying out only investment income to current heirs, a total return unitrust pays a fixed percentage of its total value annually.

FORBES: In growth we trust

With a total return unitrust, results can be stunningly different.

FORBES: In growth we trust

Since June, Delaware, New York and Missouri have all passed laws allowing a trustee to convert an old-fashioned trust like Roe's into something called a total return unitrust (TRU).

FORBES: New Cash From Old Trusts