Trust interpretation

A trust document sets out rules and guidance for the trustees to follow in administering a trust.

These will usually include details as to which people, or groups or classes of people, should benefit from the trust, what that benefit might look like, and how the trustees should look after and invest trust assets. These documents should be clear and comprehensible so that the trustees can act with certainty, but this is not always the case.

Specialist trust interpretation solicitors

Sometimes the documents that set up a trust are not sufficiently clear and there can be a dispute as to the proper interpretation. Sometimes the circumstances of a trust or the beneficiaries of a trust or the assets in the trust can change in a way that the trust documents don’t cater for. In those circumstances, if the parties can’t agree how to proceed then it may be necessary for a Court to decide how a trust should be interpreted and managed.

Whether you are a trustee or a beneficiary, the first step should always be to take advice from a specialist in trust disputes. We can advise you about the probable interpretation of any ambiguity in a trust as well as consider any tax consequences and litigation risks.