A staged distribution occurs when the trustor or the settlor (i.e. the person who created the trust) wants their beneficiaries to receive their inheritance in portions. So let’s say a beneficiary were to receive two million dollars, some people are concerned that receiving two million dollars at once is too much. So oftentimes you will see something like, “when my beneficiary turns 30 years old and has graduated college they can get half of their inheritance and at the age of 35 they can get the second half.” When considering staged distribution you should understand that the beneficiary will always have the property there for their benefit. The question is when do they get it all outright. So that’s what a staged distribution is.