You’ve been told to make a family trust election. Here’s what that actually means.
If you’re running a family business or managing family wealth through a trust, chances are your accountant has recommended that you “make a Family Trust Election” (or FTE for short). If your response was, “Sure… what exactly is that?”, you’re not alone. Let’s demystify what this election is, why it’s coming up now, and why it’s worth talking to a lawyer before you commit. What is a […]
Changes to trust taxation in the Federal Budget: Is there still a case for keeping a family trust in my structure?
We’re hearing this question from many of our clients since the Federal Budget announcement on 12 May 2026 introduced proposed changes to how family trusts (also called discretionary trusts) are taxed. Small to medium-sized businesses, family business owners and individuals who have taken steps to limit their personal liability are now questioning the value of […]
Australia’s new AML/CTF rules: what changes from 1 July 2026
If you have engaged a lawyer, accountant, conveyancer or real estate agent recently, you may already have been asked for more identification than usual. From 1 July 2026, those asks become standard practice across the profession. Your advisers will need to verify who you are. They will also ask about the source of funds in […]
Set up and run a family trust
Set up and run a family trust We will draft a deed that matches what you actually intend, and keep the administration consistent with it. A family trust is only as protective as two things: the deed, and the decisions made under it. Most trusts are set up from a template and then run for […]
Set up or amend a unit trust
Set up or amend a unit trust We will set the unit trust up so the entitlements are certain and the amendments do not resettle it. A unit trust is the opposite of a discretionary one. There is no trustee discretion about who benefits: the units fix the entitlements, in proportion, in advance. That is […]
Prepare your trust distribution resolutions
Prepare your trust distribution resolutions We will have your resolutions prepared and signed before 30 June, with the beneficiaries checked against the deed. There is one date in the trust year that cannot be moved. If the trustee has not effectively resolved to distribute the trust’s income by 30 June, it can be assessed on […]
Replace a lost trust deed
Replace a lost trust deed We will reconstruct the terms of your trust and put the evidence of them beyond argument. A trust without its deed still exists. What it loses is the ability to prove its own terms. Banks will not lend to it and buyers will not complete against it. The trustee cannot […]
Set up or amend a farm trust
Set up or amend a farm trust We will structure the farm so it can pass to the next generation without duty, and keep the exemption available. South Australia lets farming land pass between family members without stamp duty. The exemption is one of the most valuable in the state, and it is also one […]
Set up a special disability trust
Set up a special disability trust We will set up a trust that funds care for life without costing your family member their pension. Leaving money to someone with a severe disability is the point at which ordinary estate planning stops working. A straightforward gift can push them over the assets test and cost them […]
Set up a family governance framework or family office
Set up a family governance framework or family office We will put a structure around family decisions before the next one has to be made informally. Most family wealth is governed by habit rather than by any agreement. That works while one generation is making the decisions and stops working the moment there are several. […]