Practical guidance for advisers on structuring lifetime trusts, managing tax exposure, and avoiding common drafting and compliance pitfalls.
Lifetime trusts remain a powerful planning tool, but they also present significant legal, tax, and compliance risks if structured or administered incorrectly. This practical webinar is designed for advisers who need to understand not only how lifetime trusts work, but how they operate in real client scenarios.
Drawing on extensive private client experience, this session explores the key reasons for using lifetime trusts, the drafting decisions that matter most, and the tax consequences that can arise throughout the trust lifecycle. The webinar focuses on real-world issues advisers encounter, including trustee responsibilities, inheritance tax exposure, reporting obligations, and common mistakes that lead to disputes or professional negligence claims.
Attendees will gain practical insight into advising clients on lifetime trusts with confidence, identifying risks early, and ensuring trusts remain effective, compliant, and fit for purpose over time.
Consultant | Read Roper and Read Solicitors
Julie Bell is a Manchester-based Consultant Solicitor at Read Roper & Read specializing in comprehensive private client law, including trusts, inheritance tax, wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, and deputyship. A STEP-qualified expert and author, she advises high-net-worth individuals and lectures on estate administration and will preparation. Key details about Julie Bell's expertise: Areas of Specialization: Wills, inheritance tax planning, trust creation/administration, Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), deputyship, and charities. Professional Roles: Consultant Solicitor at Read Roper & Read, lecturer for STEP Advanced Certificates, and former Chief Examiner for CILEX. Publications: Edited the 10th edition of the Law Society’s Will Draftsman’s Handbook, authored Digital Assets for the Law Society, and Trust Drafting and Precedents for Bloomsbury. Expertise: Focuses on complex estate planning for high-net-worth individuals. She also serves as a lecturer and speaker for MBL Seminars, covering topics such as property tax, trusts, and estate administration.
