Trusts
Trust services for families and businesses
A trust is governed by its deed, its officeholders and the decisions made over its life. We help families, business owners and advisers establish the right trust, make changes correctly, repair incomplete records and identify when tax or Victorian duty advice must be coordinated before anyone signs.
Establish a trust
Change a trust
Correct or confirm trust records
Trust duty and finance
Trust work organised around the step you need to take
Trust documents are not interchangeable. Establishing a discretionary trust is different from creating a unit trust. Replacing a trustee is different from correcting a drafting error, and a proposed variation may carry consequences that a simple administrative change does not.
This area separates those tasks so you can begin with the event you are dealing with. We review the deed first, identify the legal power and required approvals, and coordinate with your accountant or tax adviser where the proposed step may affect duty or tax.
Establish and structure
We prepare discretionary family trusts, unit trusts and specialised structures where the intended control, beneficiary class or regulatory setting requires tailored drafting. A corporate trustee is a separate company-law step and should be coordinated with the deed.
Change, confirm or correct
Trustees, names, beneficiary classes and borrowing powers may change over time. Earlier decisions may also need to be confirmed, corrected or documented. The correct document depends on what happened, what the deed permits and whether third-party rights or revenue consequences are involved.
Victorian duty
The duty treatment of a trust deed or later change depends on the document, the trust property and the transaction. We identify the legal documents and work with the appropriate tax adviser before a step is implemented.
Frequently asked questions
Which trust service do I need?
Send us the trust deed and explain what has happened or what you want to change. We can identify whether the work involves establishment, variation, trustee succession, correction, confirmation or a duty question.
Do you provide tax advice?
We advise on the legal documents and trust process. Where a decision may affect tax or duty, we coordinate with your accountant or tax adviser before documents are signed.
Why do you need the complete signed deed?
The deed is the starting point for the trustee's powers, amendment rules and succession process. Later deeds, resolutions and court orders may also affect the current position, so we ask for the complete trust record.
How are fees and timing handled?
They depend on the deed, the proposed step and the quality of the existing records. We confirm the scope, fee and expected timing in writing before work begins.
Send the signed trust deed, every later amending deed and a short explanation of the result you need.
Tell us what the trust needsLet's start the conversation.
Tell us about your matter and we'll respond within one business day. Transparent fees: a written estimate before work begins, fixed-fee options where we can, and we tell you immediately if the scope changes.