Helping you plan how assets are held and passed on
A Trust can provide greater control over how assets are held, managed and ultimately passed to the people you wish to benefit.
Understanding whether a Trust is right for you
Trusts can be useful in a range of family and estate-planning circumstances, but they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Whether a Trust is appropriate depends on what you want to achieve, the assets involved and the needs of the people you wish to benefit.
The starting point is therefore to understand your circumstances and objectives. From there, we can help you consider whether a Trust has a useful role to play and how it may fit alongside your other arrangements.
A Trust shaped around its purpose
The first question is not simply which type of Trust to use, but what you need the arrangement to achieve. We take time to understand your family circumstances, the assets involved and who you would like to benefit.
Where a Trust is appropriate, those objectives help shape the structure of the arrangement, the choice of trustees and the way in which the Trust should operate alongside your wider estate planning.
Trusts bring responsibilities as well as opportunities
Creating a Trust also creates responsibilities. Trustees have duties in relation to the assets they manage and the beneficiaries of the Trust, and there may be ongoing administrative, reporting and tax considerations.
It is therefore important to consider both the purpose of a Trust and the practical implications of establishing and maintaining it. Where specialist legal, tax or investment advice is required, this can form part of the wider professional planning process.
Part of the wider picture
A Trust will often sit alongside other arrangements rather than stand alone. Your Will determines how your estate should pass after your death, while Lasting Powers of Attorney allow trusted people to make certain decisions on your behalf during your lifetime.
Talk to us about Trusts
If you would like to discuss whether a Trust may have a role in your family or estate planning, speak to us about your circumstances and what you would like to achieve.