Divorce: A matter of trust

Oliver Auld gives the lowdown on what happens to trusts in the event of a divorce ‘Trustees need to be aware of not only the range of orders the family courts can make in relation to trust assets, but also the strategies they should potentially be adopting in the best interest of their beneficiaries, both …
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Trusts: Finding a way

Peter Steen and Robert Hines examine firewall legislation and the tension between legal fairness and economic expediency ‘It is evident that provisions of firewall legislation will prevail over questions of comity in circumstances where action by the trustees would result in them exceeding their powers under the trust.’ Asset protection, rather than legitimate tax mitigation, …
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DR v GR & ors [2013] EWHC 1196 (Fam)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | July/August 2013 #131

A post-nuptial settlement (being a Jersey discretionary trust) was created by a husband and wife in 1986. The trust owns a Liberian company, which in turn owns a UK company that owns two UK companies. The main company assets are two UK retirement villages. The beneficiaries included the husband and wife and two minor children.

During divorce proceedings the wife applied for a variation of the settlement.

Over the course of proceedings the trustees of the Jersey trust and the companies were all joined as parties. In both cases no application was made for joinder and no not...

Corporate Assets: Divisional divide

James Copson analyses the impact of Petrodel v Prest and the repercussions for family lawyers Rimer LJ made it clear that the husband helping himself to the companies’ assets did not alter the status of the companies as separate entities from the owner of their shares. The Court of Appeal decision in Petrodel v Prest …
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