Trust Fundamentals – Trust structures in the Crown Dependencies

Professional Development

Overview

The Trust Fundamentals programme is a four-part deep dive into the world of trusts in the Crown Dependencies and other offshore jurisdictions.

In this third seminar, we review the key varieties of trust in the Crown Dependencies and selected offshore jurisdictions. The emphasis is on practice rather than theory, so that administrators can match structures with specific client needs.

Supported by interactive case studies, this course provides trust administrators with essential knowledge to become more effective in their roles.

Online Classroom

This course will be delivered through Online Classroom Live.

Suitable For

New joiners and early career professionals in offshore trust administration

24 Sep 2026    View session times
24 Sep 2026    09:30 - 11:30
2.00 CPD hours
2 hour
Online Classroom Live
All times on this page are in the Europe/London timezone.

Trust Fundamentals – Trust structures in the Crown Dependencies

Start Date: 24 Sep 2026

Cost: GBP 135.00

Course Content

  • Introduction and brief recap of previous sessions
  • How client needs are met through the right choice of trust structure:
    • Discretionary trusts – the fundamental structure to understand
    • Bare trusts
    • Interest-in-possession / life interest trusts
    • Accumulation and maintenance trusts (their history and decline)
    • Non-charitable purpose trusts – the role of the enforcer
    • Reserved power trusts
  • The English framework: Trustee Act 2000, the duty of care, the Perpetuities and Accumulations Act 2009 and125-year maximum duration
  • A brief tour of the Crown Dependencies: the Trusts (Jersey) Law 1984 as amended, the Trusts (Guernsey) Law 2007 and Isle of Man legislation.
  • Innovative Overseas Territories (OT) structures – BVI VISTA and Cayman Islands STAR Trusts
  • Checklist for choosing a jurisdiction: client residence, asset location, reputational considerations
  • The Firewall Test: how defensible is the trust structure?
  • Q&A and Slido Quiz

Learning outcomes

  • Deepen their knowledge of the key types of trust structure and which structure matches which client needs
  • Understand the Crown Dependency legislative frameworks, the factors that drive the choice of jurisdiction of the importance of the firewall test
  • Leave with practical summaries and relevant case studies to help boost their effectiveness as trust administrators
 
 

 
 

speaker

 
 

Paul Groden

Prize-winning author, speaker and tutor with over two decades of experience in international finance

Paul is a freelance tutor specialising in finance, business strategy, and soft skills. He has worked for over twenty years in leading global firms, primarily in securitisation, structured products and change management.

Paul gained a first-class degree in Modern History from Oxford University, where he was a Centenary Scholar at St Hugh’s College. He also holds a postgraduate diploma in Business Studies with Distinction from the London School of Economics.

He is winner of the Shell Economist Writing Prize and is the author of two published books. Paul is a Fellow of CIMA and a Chartered Fellow of CISI, and is a former President of CISI Jersey branch.