United Kingdom: Trusts

When divorce involves significant wealth, one of the hardest questions is whether you can trust the financial picture being presented to you. You may be worried that assets are being hidden, undervalued or moved out of reach. Or you may be a business owner, entrepreneur or someone with inherited wealth who is concerned about how to protect assets properly without being accused of concealment. These are very different concerns, but they often meet at the same point: the need for clear, accurate financial disclosure and a strategy that protects your position from the outset.

Charities managing multiple restricted funds face administrative challenges and underutilized resources when fund purposes become outdated or inflexible. This analysis explores how trustees can use statutory powers under the Charities Act 2011 to rationalize funds, modernize purposes, and unlock charitable assets for more effective use while respecting donor intentions.

When divorcing later in life, protecting inheritance for children and grandchildren becomes a critical concern. Understanding how separation affects wills, pensions, trusts and remarriage scenarios can help ensure family wealth passes to intended beneficiaries rather than being redirected through future relationships or estate complications.

Contemporary artist Damien Hirst's innovative approach to posthumous artwork creation offers valuable insights into estate planning beyond traditional assets. His concept of creating instructions for works to be produced up to 200 years after death demonstrates how legacy planning can encompass intellectual property, creative rights, and carefully structured future instructions.

This article examines recent UK legal developments affecting estate planning and trust structures, including landmark court decisions on trust registration and HMRC challenges, expanded reporting requirements for overseas entities and trusts, and significant changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief allowances that impact wealth preservation strategies.

The internationalization of wealth combined with people living longer and the prevalence of dementia means that it is increasingly important to think about who looks after your affairs if you are not able to.

Welcome to your weekly update from the A&O Shearman Pensions team, covering all the latest legal and regulatory developments in the world of workplace pensions.

Educational institutions holding cultural artefacts face mounting pressure to address the provenance and legitimacy of historic acquisitions.

The UK government has introduced significant amendments to both the Register of Overseas Entities and Trust Registration Service regimes, affecting how trust information is accessed and who must register.