A trust is a structure.
It can be written into a will.
Or created during your lifetime.
Its purpose is simple:
to hold assets on behalf of someone else,
under conditions you define.
Trusts give you control beyond your own lifetime.
They protect what you have built — and who you built it for.
Protective Property Will Trusts
The most commonly used trust in estate planning
is the Protective Property Will Trust (PPWT).
It protects a share of the family home —
ensuring it passes to the people you intend,
regardless of what happens after you are gone.
What a PPWT provides
- Control over how your share of the property passes on
- Continuity of home for the surviving partner after first death
- Protection against care home fees consuming the entire estate
- Certainty that children or chosen beneficiaries inherit — regardless of the survivor’s future decisions
The surviving partner can continue to live in the property.
But the trust ensures your share is ring-fenced —
held safely, with clear instructions for the future.
How a trust works
Every trust involves three roles.
The Settlor
The person who creates the trust and places assets into it.
The Trustee
The person who manages the trust and carries out its terms.
The Beneficiary
The person who benefits from the assets held in trust.
The settlor sets the rules.
The trustee follows them.
The beneficiary is protected by them.
When trusts are useful
Trusts are not reserved for complex estates.
They solve common, everyday concerns:
- You want to protect your children’s inheritance if your partner remarries
- You want to ensure your share of a property is not lost to care fees
- You have beneficiaries who are young, vulnerable, or not yet able to manage money
- You want to provide for a partner without giving them outright ownership
- You want to pass assets on while retaining some control over how they are used
Trusts are not just for the wealthy.
If you own a property, have children, or want to protect someone you love — a trust may be the most important tool in your plan.
Bringing it back to simplicity
A trust is a promise made formal.
It says: this is what I want to happen.
These are the people I want to protect.
And here is the structure to ensure it does.
The language around trusts can feel unfamiliar.
But the purpose behind them is deeply human.
Protection. Continuity. Love made practical.