Warners Trust Corporation

Warners Trust Corporation Limited

Warners Trust Corporation Limited is an independent UK registered and UK regulated trust company, which serves families (often generations of the same family) in:

• Estate administration: Trust companies can act as professional executors, administering an estate according to the terms of the deceased’s will.
• Trust administration: Trust companies can act as professional trustees, managing trusts on behalf of beneficiaries.
• Asset custody: Trust companies can hold assets on behalf of clients, including cash, securities, and real estate.

The directors of Warners Trust Corporation Limited include partners in Warners Law LLP (many of whom are recognised experts in their specialisms by the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners). The trust company works closely with Warners Law LLP (established in 1785) and where appropriate, with other professionals, to provide legal assistance in relation to an estate or trust, where it is appointed as an independent administrator.

Independent Administration

Independent administration is a specialist service provided by Warners Trust Corporation Limited that both solicitors and families can use when there is a dispute between executors (or trustees) and beneficiaries that is preventing the administration of the estate (or trust). The primary duty of an independent administrator is to maintain impartiality to ensure the estate/trust is administered fairly in the best interests of all the beneficiaries.

There are many circumstances where you may consider appointing an independent administrator. Some examples are below:

• Disputes among executors named in the Will.
• Challenges to the Will’s validity by beneficiaries.
• Dissatisfaction among beneficiaries with one or more executors.
• Unwillingness or incapacity of the executor appointed in the Will to fulfil their duties.
• If the executor passed away before the testator.
• Where a ‘caveat’ has been entered to suspend the application for a grant of probate in the estate administration.
• Where both the executors and beneficiaries named in the Will have agreed to proceed with the estate administration whilst the parties determine the contested aspects of the estate.
• Disputes between trustees and beneficiaries.
• Conflicts among trustees and where the parties wish to remove a trustee appointed under a Will
• Resolving administration issues within trusts.

Why Use Warners Trust Corporation Limited

Appointing Warners Trust Corporation Limited as an independent executor or trustee before disputes arise can be a wise decision for several reasons. Firstly, it can free up your loved ones from the burden of dealing with complex financial, legal and administrative matters at an extremely difficult time. Secondly, it can help to reduce the risk of future disagreements between executors/trustees and beneficiaries, particularly where there are competing interests in the family and conflicts could arise.

Appointing Warners Trust Corporation as an independent administrator/executor under a Will can significantly enhance the likelihood of respecting one’s wishes to the fullest and provide an objective and neutral approach from the outset. This can assist in avoiding future misunderstandings between family members. The trust company can also rely on expert legal advice at an early stage, to help resolve potential or actual conflicts/disputes in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner.

Some of the reasons clients choose to appoint Warners Trust Corporation Limited as an executor/administrator of a will or trustee of a trust are:

• Significant experience in handling complex family dynamics, especially in second-family scenarios.
• Expertise in inheritance and estate disputes involving landed estates and farms.
• Operates within the bounds of strict confidentiality rules to protect the interests of individuals and corporations.
• Proven track record of acting as an independent administrator in various complex circumstances including cross-border and contentious estates.
• Acts as a co-trustee alongside lay trustees and offers impartiality in situations where the co-trustees are divorced/separated parents.
• Access to members of the Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners (STEP), Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) and Contentious Trusts Association ( ConTrA).
• Access to wider legal services to support the administration, such as inheritance tax and personal tax planning, contentious trusts and estates law, corporate law, commercial and residential property, property litigation, family law and employment law.

Get in touch

If you are considering appointing Warners Trust Corporation Limited as an independent administrator, contact us today to discuss your requirements. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have.