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Trust Specialists
With many families reviewing their personal estate planning, trusts are often used as a way to protect assets, provide control and plan for future generations.
Establishing a trust is a tax-efficient and flexible way to pass on and protect assets, and is vital to intergenerational wealth planning.
However, there are many different types and identifying the right option and setting it up can be complex. Our lawyers and other trust specialists advise founders or ‘settlors’ and their families, trustees and family offices on the establishment, governance, management and restructuring of trusts to hold and preserve wealth across generations – both in the UK and internationally.
Legal advice on trusts
Trusts are evolving legal structures that sit alongside wills, estates, and tax and governance frameworks in long-term wealth planning, and need active oversight as families, assets and the tax and legal framework change.
Our trust experts serve as long-term advisers to founders and their families, as well as trustees and beneficiaries, and draw on the experience of our wider Private Client practice to ensure trusts are aligned with their long-term objectives.
When trusts become relevant within private client planning
Trusts often come into focus at moments of change, such as the sale of a business, a substantial increase in wealth, or when assets are being passed between generations (whether during lifetime or on death). In these contexts, our trust experts focus on how wealth will be held, protected and overseen in the future, working with our clients to pre-empt change, and bringing foresight and proactive judgement to decisions that will shape their long-term legacy planning.
Governance and long-term stewardship of trusts
We advise our clients on the governance and long-term stewardship of trusts, supporting them as they carry out their legal responsibilities and decision-making. As family circumstances evolve, we help them navigate governance standards and cross-border challenges that may arise and provide guidance on the modernisation of older trust structures, ensuring they are aligned with family expectations and the letter of the law.
Our trust services
Our experienced team of trust experts advise on matters including:
Establishing and structuring trusts
Establishing and structuring trusts
We design trust frameworks that are aligned with long-term family objectives, coordinating succession, tax and governance considerations.
Trust administration and trustee advisory support
Trust administration and trustee advisory support
We provide sound legal guidance to trustees, supporting complex decision-making and responsible oversight as they deal with changes in family dynamics and assets. We also deal with the ongoing trust administration, including: liaising with investment managers; arranging payments to beneficiaries; preparing annual accounts and tax compliance.
We manage nearly 1,000 trusts on behalf of clients, many of which have appointed our own trust corporation to act as a trustee. Appointing a trust corporation provides many practical benefits as it ensures impartiality compared to appointing an individual trustee as well as uninterrupted continuity and availability.
Trust restructuring and modernisation
Trust restructuring and modernisation
We review and adapt existing trusts to ensure they are in step with legislative and family changes, ensuring effectiveness and control.
Trust governance and decision-making support
Trust governance and decision-making support
We advise on trustee powers, conflicts and family governance frameworks, offering balanced support where sensitive or high-value decisions occur.
International and cross-border aspects
International and cross-border aspects
Where relevant, we coordinate advice across jurisdictions and advisers, including advising on the UK tax treatment of offshore structures.
Meet the team
Our awards
Related pages
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We advise international individuals, and their trustees and advisers, on the establishment and administration of asset holding structures.
Mental Capacity & Court of Protection
For those preparing documents to help protect finances and welfare when you no longer have the capacity to act.
Private Client Property
For those with personal property assets or those looking to purchase them.
Private Wealth
We enable people to make the most of their wealth now and in the future. No other private wealth law firm has the scale, reach and breadth of services.
Private Wealth Disputes
We provide tailored solutions for all varieties of domestic and international disputes for families and private wealth professionals.
Reputation Management
Our team of experienced media dispute specialists is highly attuned to advising private individuals on ‘reputation management’ issues.
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Handling disputes and investigations for you across all areas of tax.
UK Wealth Structuring
For those wishing to draft a Will to distribute their assets through efficient structures.
Wills and succession planning
Advice on wills, succession planning and the transfer of wealth across generations, helping individuals and families structure their affairs with clarity and confidence.
What's important to you is important to us. Let's talk
If you would like to speak to a member of our Private Client team or to find out more about how we work, please get in touch.
Our thinking
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