Could a Will Trust Help Protect Your Family?
A basic Will primarily records who should inherit. A Will can also contain trusts designed for particular family circumstances.
In straightforward English: a Will can simply say who inherits, or it can hold part of your estate in trust so that named trustees look after it for the people you intend to benefit. Which is right for you depends entirely on your circumstances.
Protecting Children & Grandchildren
Many people want to be sure that what they leave ultimately reaches their children or grandchildren. A trust in a Will can set out who benefits, when, and on what terms, rather than passing everything outright immediately.
Blended Families and Second Marriages
Where either partner has children from a previous relationship, an outright gift to the survivor means the survivor decides what happens next. Some families prefer arrangements that provide for a surviving partner while keeping a clearer route to the children of the first family.
Providing for a Spouse While Protecting Children's Ultimate Inheritance
A trust can allow a surviving spouse or partner to continue living in the family home or benefiting from income, while the underlying capital is intended to pass to the children in due course.
Vulnerable Beneficiaries
Where a beneficiary is disabled, in receipt of means-tested support, or otherwise vulnerable, receiving a lump sum outright may not be in their interests. Trust arrangements exist specifically for these situations and need careful, individual consideration.
Young Beneficiaries
Few people want an 18-year-old to receive a substantial sum outright. A Will can set a later age or allow trustees discretion about timing, education, housing and support.
Family Members With Financial or Relationship Risks
Where a beneficiary is going through relationship difficulties, or has creditor or bankruptcy concerns, families often want to think carefully about how and when an inheritance is received. This is a discussion, not an automatic answer.
Business Owners
Business interests raise questions about succession, co-owners, shareholders' and cross-option agreements, and available reliefs. How a business interest passes under a Will should be considered alongside those arrangements.
Property and Family Estate Planning
How your home is owned — sole name, joint tenants or tenants in common — directly affects what your Will can do with it. Property is often the largest part of an estate and deserves specific attention.
Flexible Family Planning
Some families prefer a flexible structure that allows trustees to respond to circumstances that cannot be predicted today, guided by a letter of wishes.
A trust is not automatically suitable for everyone
Marshall Wills & Trusts will review your circumstances before making recommendations. Trusts can be useful estate-planning tools in appropriate circumstances. Their suitability depends on your objectives, family circumstances, assets and applicable law.
We do not claim that a trust guarantees protection from care fees, creditors, divorce, tax or any other future event, and we do not suggest that assets can simply be placed into trust to avoid legitimate liabilities.
Find Out Whether a Trust May Be Appropriate