Dividing a family trust

The trust was valued at £500,000, comprising freehold property, cash and a managed investment portfolio. The trustees were two siblings and the beneficiaries were their families. The siblings had decided to split the assets: one would continue with a trust for his family while the other sought distributions for himself, his wife and his children. Each wanted different types of asset. Stuart Goodbody and his team were responsible for administering the tax affairs of the trust and monitoring investments. They obtained valuations of all trust assets and instituted a thorough review of the tax implications of different ways of splitting the trust. Stuart manages around a 100 trusts on behalf of clients so his expertise was crucial to this review. This enabled the trustees to reach an agreement on the division of assets which balanced fairness and tax efficiency. Stuart subsequently handled implementation of the plan, including drawing up the necessary documentation.