Protect your assets with a trust — care fees and divorce-proofing in Buckinghamshire

A trust is a legal arrangement where you (the settlor) hand assets to people you choose (the trustees) to look after for the people you want to benefit (the beneficiaries). It lets you separate control of an asset from the enjoyment of it, so you can decide when, how and to whom money is released rather than leaving it outright. That control is what makes trusts useful for protecting young, vulnerable or at-risk beneficiaries.

Not automatically. Some trusts can help reduce or defer IHT, but many have their own tax treatment, such as the relevant property regime, with potential entry, ten-year and exit charges. Whether a trust saves tax is entirely plan-dependent and depends on the type of trust, the assets and your wider estate. A regulated specialist will model this for your situation before recommending anything.

From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds and pension death benefits are expected to be included in your estate for Inheritance Tax, where previously they usually sat outside it. For families in Buckinghamshire with sizeable pension pots, this could pull an estate over the threshold for the first time, or increase an existing bill. It is a key reason many people are reviewing their plans now rather than waiting.

It can help. If an inheritance passes outright, it generally becomes your child's own asset and can be exposed in a divorce settlement or to creditors. Holding it in a properly structured trust can keep it ring-fenced for their benefit while reducing that exposure. No structure is absolute, and the courts retain discretion, so a specialist will explain realistically what protection a given trust can and cannot offer.

Almost always, yes. Trusts and wills do different jobs and usually work together. Without a will, intestacy rules decide who inherits, which may not match your wishes and can complicate any trust planning. Most plans also include both types of Lasting Power of Attorney, for property and financial affairs and for health and welfare, registered with the Office of the Public Guardian.

A template will is cheaper upfront, but it typically captures only who inherits, not how to shelter assets, plan for tax, or protect a vulnerable or young beneficiary. Trusts that are drafted but never correctly funded often fail to work as intended. A fixed-fee specialist makes sure the structure is right and actually does what you need, which is usually far less costly than getting it wrong.

The specialists we connect you with quote a fixed fee agreed before any work begins, so there are no surprises and no hourly meter running. They are paid for advice, not commission, so there is no incentive to sell you products you do not need. Your first conversation is a no-obligation review, and if a trust is not right for you they will say so.

Outright gifts can fall outside your estate if you survive seven years (potentially exempt transfers), with taper relief reducing the tax between years three and seven, and there is a £3,000 annual gift exemption. Gifting and trusts are often used together as part of one plan. A specialist will weigh gifting against keeping control through a trust, depending on what matters most to you.