Trusts
Protect what you pass on, and who it’s for
A trust lets you decide not just who benefits from your assets, but how and when. Used well, it’s one of the most powerful ways to protect your family’s future.
What is a trust?
A trust is an arrangement where you (the settlor) pass assets to people you trust (the trustees) to look after for the benefit of others (the beneficiaries). It can be set up during your lifetime or through your Will.
Why families use trusts
- Protect an inheritance if a child divorces or faces financial difficulty
- Make sure children from a first marriage still inherit if your partner remarries
- Provide for a vulnerable or disabled beneficiary without affecting their benefits
- Hold assets for young beneficiaries until they’re old enough
- Keep life insurance payouts outside your estate and get them to your family quickly
- Form part of a wider inheritance tax plan
Types of trust
The right structure for your family
Property protection trusts
Usually set up in a Will, so each person’s share of the family home is protected for their chosen beneficiaries.
Discretionary trusts
Give trustees flexibility to decide who benefits and when, adapting to circumstances that can’t be predicted today.
Lifetime trusts
Set up during your lifetime to start protecting and passing on assets now, often as part of longer-term planning.
Vulnerable person trusts
Provide for a loved one with a disability or additional needs, with careful attention to means-tested benefits.
Life insurance trusts
Help a policy pay out to the right people quickly, and can keep the proceeds outside your estate for inheritance tax.
Trust reviews
Already have a trust? We can review it with you and your trustees to check it still does what you intended.
Our promise
Honest advice about what trusts can and can’t do
Trusts can have tax and administrative implications, and they aren’t right for everyone. We’ll explain the pros and cons clearly, including the responsibilities your trustees will take on.
We will never recommend a trust as a way to avoid paying for care. Arrangements made deliberately to avoid care fees can be challenged by local authorities, and we believe you deserve the truth from the start. Where specialist tax or legal advice is needed, we’ll tell you.
Next step
Ready to put your plans in place?
Start with a relaxed, no-obligation conversation. We’ll listen, explain your options and tell you exactly what it would cost before you decide anything.