Protect Your Home, Wealth & Family with a Trust
Fixed-fee Trusts that keep you in control of your legacy — for the people who matter most.
What is a Trust?
At Puna Legal, we believe your hard-earned wealth should stay exactly where you intended: with your family.
A Trust is a simple way to look after your assets for the people you care about most. Think of it as a safe box for your home or savings, managed by people you choose — your Trustees — for the benefit of your loved ones.
Trusts aren’t just for the wealthy. They’re a practical tool for anyone who wants to:
- Protect the family home for future generations
- Make sure children from a previous marriage are looked after
- Provide for a vulnerable relative who may struggle to manage money
- Keep inheritance in the family if a surviving partner remarries
Will Trusts and Living Trusts — what’s the difference?
There are two main ways to set up a Trust, and the right one depends on your circumstances:
- A Will Trust is written into your Will and comes into effect when you die.
- A Living Trust (also called a lifetime trust) is set up while you’re alive and takes effect straight away.
Both keep you firmly in control of how your assets are looked after. We’ll always talk you through which option best fits your family and your goals.
Will Trusts
When you make a Will, you usually name people to receive your estate directly. Sometimes it’s better for your estate to be held on their behalf — with clear rules about how and when it’s shared. That’s what a Will Trust does, giving you total control over your legacy even when you’re no longer here. We specialise in three main types:
Property Trust Will
Often called a Protective Property Trust. It protects your share of the family home for your children, while still allowing your partner to live there for the rest of their life — the most common way to protect a home from care fees.
Flexible Life Interest Trust Will
Works like a Property Trust but can also include your savings and investments. It gives your partner an income during their lifetime, while keeping the original capital safe for future generations.
Discretionary Trust Will
A flexible option where your Trustees decide how and when to help your beneficiaries. Ideal for protecting vulnerable loved ones, or those who could lose state benefits from a direct inheritance.
Living Trusts
A Living Trust (sometimes called a lifetime trust) is created and takes effect while you’re still alive. You move chosen assets — such as property, savings or investments — into the trust, and your Trustees look after them for your beneficiaries, following the wishes you set out.
A Living Trust can help you:
- Keep control of how your assets are managed if you ever lose mental capacity
- Allow assets to pass to your loved ones without waiting for probate
- Provide for a partner during their lifetime while protecting the underlying value for the next generation
Living Trusts carry important tax and legal considerations and aren’t the right answer for everyone. We’ll give you clear, honest advice on whether a Will Trust, a Living Trust, or a combination best suits your circumstances.
What does a Trustee do?
A Trustee is someone you choose to manage the Trust’s assets. Their job is to act in the best interests of your beneficiaries and follow your instructions, with a duty of care under the Trustee Act 2000 to act with reasonable care and skill.
A Trustee’s main duties include:
- Acting impartially and in the best interests of all beneficiaries
- Keeping the trust assets safe and keeping proper records
- Reviewing any investments and taking financial advice where needed
- Storing trust documents and making them available to beneficiaries when required
We recommend naming at least two Trustees, so that if one is ever unable to act, the other can step in. Where the trust holds property, at least two Trustees are usually required by law.
Simple, fixed-fee pricing
We believe in transparency. Our Will Trusts are provided at a fixed cost, so you always know where you stand:
- Single Trust Will: from £439
- Mirror Trust Wills (for a couple): from £849
Our fees include professional drafting and advice on the best Trust for your family’s situation. Once we’ve given you a written quote, that price won’t change.
For Living Trusts, costs depend on your circumstances — contact us for a tailored quote.
Plan for the future today
Setting up a Trust is one of the kindest things you can do for your family. It gives them a secure foundation — and gives you peace of mind that your home and wealth are protected.