Article 1. General Provisions of California Probate Code >> Division 9. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.

A trustee has the following powers without the need to obtain court authorization:
  (a) The powers conferred by the trust instrument.
  (b) Except as limited in the trust instrument, the powers conferred by statute.
  (c) Except as limited in the trust instrument, the power to perform any act that a trustee would perform for the purposes of the trust under the standard of care provided in Section 16040 or 16047.

This chapter does not affect the power of a court to relieve a trustee from restrictions on the exercise of powers under the trust instrument.

The grant of a power to a trustee, whether by the trust instrument, by statute, or by the court, does not in itself require or permit the exercise of the power. The exercise of a power by a trustee is subject to the trustee's fiduciary duties.

An instrument that incorporates the powers provided in former Section 1120.2 (repealed by Chapter 820 of the Statutes of 1986) shall be deemed to refer to the powers provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 16220). For this purpose, the trustee's powers under former Section 1120.2 are not diminished and the trustee is not required to obtain court approval for exercise of a power for which court approval was not required by former law.