Trusts
Business & Commercial
Trusts
Burgess Thomson can assist you with structuring your business or investments through discretionary and family trusts.
Trusts are an important legal relationship where a rights holder grants their rights to another person or entity. They can be used for a variety of reasons, including:
- As a tax minimisation strategy
- As a means of providing shared income for family members
- As a way of minimising the risk of creditors making a claim against your assets
- As a way of placing valuable assets out of the direct control of individuals at risk of making poor decisions that may affect a number of stakeholders involved
Trusts can avoid difficult circumstances surrounding a death. However, it is important to seek the support of a trust lawyer who can navigate this complex legal journey.
There is a range of trust options available to you. For example, a testamentary trust is established through a Will. Typically, this will come into effect once the testator has passed away.
The Burgess Thomson legal team can assist you with structuring your business or investments through discretionary and family trusts.
Discretionary Trusts
Discretionary trusts allow the person who is managing the trust to elect beneficiaries. There are some serious decisions to make if you are the person, or people managing these trusts.
You can choose who benefits from the trust and how much money each of the beneficiaries are entitled to receive.
Businesses often operate discretionary trusts as a way of protecting their assets. It also offers flexibility over income distribution and capital.
Trusts will incur an annual compliance cost, which is placed in addition to income tax.
The income that is generated from a trust is taxed at the marginal tax rates for each individual beneficiary.
Family Trusts
Family trusts are a type of discretionary trust, which holds a family’s assets.
In this instance, a trustee is selected to hold the assets in their name. This person is typically a family member who holds the assets for the benefit of a group of beneficiaries.
One or more people, or companies can be elected as a trustee. In most cases, a family member will manage the trust assets on behalf of their family.
This is beneficial when it comes to avoiding difficulty in situations such as the death of a trustee, or in circumstances where a trustee is declared bankrupt.
GET A QUICK QUOTE
Enter your details for an obligation free quote.
LEARN MORE
- Business Transactions
- Business Agreements
- Employment Law
- Business Succession
- Company Power Of Attorney
- Asset Protection
- Business Structures
- Commercial Disputes
- Commercial Contracts
- Small Business Law
- Commercial & Corporate Law
- Trusts
- Terms & Conditions Of Trade
- Services & Facilities Agreements
- Supply Agreements
Get the right legal advice for your business from an experienced trust lawyer.
How Burgess Thomson Can Help
Burgess Thomson can assist you with trusts and how to manage complex legal affairs.
Our team is standing by to offer assistance with:
- Drafting trusts
- Reviewing trusts to ensure they comply with financial and trust-related legal requirements
- Advice for your accountant to make suitable arrangements
- Advice for structuring your trust in ways to minimise the chance of claims being made under family law or debt recovery proceedings
We offer a compassionate approach to help you make sensible legal decisions. Our team boasts over 60 years of collective legal knowledge and expertise. This means you can rest assured knowing that our team will guide you through the complex legal journey.