-
Trust Establishment, Administration & Taxation Lawyers
With many families reviewing their personal estate planning, many are looking to trusts as a means to protect their assets.
Trust Establishment: What do I need to consider?
Trusts are a popular structure for families to use but it is important to make the trust work for you and your personal circumstances. There are various options to choose from - whether a traditional domestic trust or perhaps an alternative structure. Equally, your interests may suit a more commercial structure such as a partnership or company. In some complex cases a tailor made structure might combine all of these elements.
An integral part of our advice will be to focus on the tax implications and whether the on-going financial commitments warrant the return. A sound understanding of your financial, business and family circumstances and objectives is essential. We will co-ordinate and “project manage” work requiring the involvement of advisers in other fields and jurisdictions.
For more information about international trust structures and wealth planning, please click here.
As well as advising founders or “settlors” and their families, we also support trustees.
Trust Management: How do I manage a trust once established?
Many of our clients like us to maintain and administer their trusts. We manage over 800 trusts on behalf of clients; some of these have been in existence for generations, but many are more recent. These cover UK resident family, charitable and personal injury trusts, with a wide range of trust assets including cash, investments, family company shares, land and houses.
We support UK trustees in the management, accounting and tax issues they face, including:
- providing professional trustees where required, including our own dedicated trust corporation
- preparing trust accounts and financial statements
- liaising as required with investment advisers
- managing all the trust's tax affairs, including calculating tax liabilities, meeting HMRC compliance requirements and dealing with beneficiaries' trust tax affairs
- recording the trust's investment policies and monitoring investment performance.
Meet the team
Related pages

International Wealth Structuring
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 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.

Tax Disputes & Investigations
Handling disputes and investigations for you across all areas of tax.

Wealth Structuring
For those wishing to draft a Will to distribute their assets through efficient structures.
Our thinking
-
-
Sally Ashford and Oliver Auld write for International Adviser on the role of a trustee in a family trust
Sally Ashford
In the Press
-
Guiding Trustees: Protecting Trustees From Loss And Liability
Dharshi Wijetunga
Insights
-
Sarah Wray writes for the Financial Times' Your Questions column on tax efficient ways to sell a plot of land
Sarah Wray
In the Press
-
-
-
Pre-sale trust planning a timely reminder ahead of the Spring Budget
Julia Cox
Insights
-
Tax Journal interviews Dominic Lawrance for its feature: One minute with
Dominic Lawrance
In the Press
-
Piers Master and Jack Carter write for International Adviser on the register of overseas entities
Piers Master
In the Press
-
-
The Telegraph quotes Penelope Byatt on the proposed sale of the Trevalga estate
Penelope Byatt
In the Press
-
Jack Carter writes for eprivateclient on the registration requirements for trust structures holding UK real estate
Jack Carter
In the Press
-
-
Matthew Radcliffe writes about ESG and trust investment for IFC Review
Matthew Radcliffe
In the Press
-
Dominic Lawrance and Catrin Harrison write for Tax Journal on HMRC v Embiricos
Dominic Lawrance
In the Press
-
-
-
Charles Russell Speechlys advises Fudco Partnership on sale to Exponent-backed Vibrant Foods
James Broadhurst
News
-
-