Certificate in Trust Administration

Introduction

Trust administration is increasingly demanding for private client practitioners and professional trustees, with day-to-day responsibilities extending beyond core legal principles to include trustee decision-making, beneficiary relationships, investment responsibilities, tax considerations and regulatory compliance.

For solicitors, legal executives and other private client professionals advising trustees or managing existing trusts, getting these issues right is essential. Poorly documented decisions, uncertainty over trustee powers, missed compliance obligations or ineffective communication with beneficiaries can create unnecessary risk and complicate trust administration.

This full-day course provides a practical guide to the administration of trusts, helping delegates understand how the rules operate in practice and how to apply them confidently when advising trustees. It will cover the administration of bare trusts, life interest trusts and discretionary trusts, together with the key duties, powers and responsibilities that trustees need to manage throughout the life of a trust.

Delegates will learn how to make and document defensible trustee decisions, deal with changes in trustees, manage beneficiary relationships, approach trust investments and professional advice, and meet key tax, registration and compliance requirements. The course will also highlight common administrative pitfalls and provide practical guidance on how advisers can help trustees avoid them.

What You Will Learn

This course will cover the following:

• The key duties, powers and responsibilities of trustees in practice
• The proper exercise of trustee powers and making well-considered, defensible decisions
• The appointment, retirement and removal of trustees
• The practical administration of bare trusts, life interest trusts and discretionary trusts
• Effective recording of trustee decisions and maintenance of appropriate trust records
• Managing relationships and communications with beneficiaries
• Trustees’ responsibilities when managing investments and obtaining professional advice
• The key tax considerations relevant to trust administration
• Registration and compliance requirements, including the Trust Registration Service
• Common pitfalls in trust administration and practical steps to help trustees avoid them