A trust is a form of ownership that separates ‘legal’ from ‘beneficial’ title. Legal ownership is vested in the trustees, whose role is to look after the assets under their care, making the management and investment decisions associated with ownership; beneficial ownership (the rights and benefits associated with the property) is vested in the beneficiaries.

Separating the control of property from its rights and monetary value in this way provides an invaluable tax planning tool. It also gives opportunities for creditor protection, both in a commercial context and to some extent in a family/divorce law context.

We can provide advice to individuals wanting to establish trusts, to the beneficiaries of trusts and to the trustees, both onshore and offshore.