Discretionary Trust

A Discretionary Trust gives your chosen trustees full control over when and how beneficiaries receive assets. This flexibility is useful if beneficiaries are young, financially inexperienced, or in uncertain circumstances such as divorce or debt.

Best for:

Protecting assets for children or vulnerable adults

Keeping control over when and how money is distributed

Future-proofing against changes in family needs

Interest in Possession Trust

This type of Trust allows one beneficiary (often a spouse or partner) to receive income or benefit from an asset during their lifetime, while the capital (such as the home or savings) is preserved for someone else, usually children, after their death.

Best for:

Providing for a surviving partner while protecting inheritance for children

Second marriages or blended families

Property Protection Trust

A Property Protection Trust allows you to leave your share of the family home in Trust, usually to ensure a partner or spouse can continue living there, while safeguarding your share for your chosen beneficiaries.

Best for:

Couples who want to protect their home from care fees

Ensuring children inherit from a previous relationship

Vulnerable Person’s Trust

This Trust is designed specifically for beneficiaries who are disabled or lack mental capacity. It provides financial support without affecting their eligibility for means-tested benefits.

Best for:

Protecting a vulnerable child or adult's inheritance

Ensuring long-term financial support with appropriate safeguards

Bare Trust

A Bare Trust gives beneficiaries the absolute right to the assets at age 18 (or 16 in Scotland). The trustees manage the assets until the beneficiary reaches that age.

Best for:

Passing on gifts to children with minimal restrictions

Simple and straightforward arrangements with no long-term control

Flexible Life Interest Trust

This combines features of both an Interest in Possession Trust and a Discretionary Trust. It allows income to be paid to one person during their lifetime, with trustees having flexibility over what happens to the remaining assets.

Best for:

Balancing the needs of a partner and children

Providing flexibility if circumstances change