Property Trusts: Protect Your Home, Preserve Your Legacy
For many families in the UK, the family home is their most valuable asset—and one of the most emotionally significant. Whether you want to make sure your children inherit your property, protect it from unnecessary care fees, or maintain control over who benefits and when, a property trust could be the right step.
At Meridian Legal Services, we help people like you create legally secure property trusts that protect your home and give you peace of mind about the future.
Need advice on protecting your home? Speak to Meridian Legal Services today to find out if a property trust is right for your circumstances.
What Is a Property Trust?
A property trust is a legal arrangement that allows you to place your share (or all) of your property into a trust—either during your lifetime or through your will. You appoint trustees (which may include yourself or others), who manage the property according to your instructions.
Property trusts are often used to:
- Ensure your home passes to your chosen beneficiaries
- Protect against care home fee assessments
- Prevent one partner’s share being lost to remarriage or debt
- Delay inheritance until beneficiaries reach a certain age or meet certain conditions
It’s not about losing control of your property—it’s about protecting it from avoidable risk.
Common Types of Property Trusts
1. Life Interest Property Trust (also called an Interest in Possession Trust)
Often set up in wills between couples, this trust allows:
- The surviving partner to live in the property for life
- Your share of the property to pass to your children or other named beneficiaries when your partner passes away
Why it matters: It protects your children's inheritance—even if your partner remarries, enters care, or rewrites their will.
2. Discretionary Property Trust
This trust gives the trustees discretion over when and how the property is passed to beneficiaries. It’s often used when:
- Beneficiaries are vulnerable, financially immature, or at risk of divorce/debt
- You want to give trustees flexibility to manage timing and access
3. Protective Property Trust (during lifetime)
Some people choose to place their property (or share of it) into trust while they’re still alive—usually to:
- Mitigate future care home fees
- Secure control over future occupation or sale
- Avoid unwanted claims after death
It’s important to get professional advice before using a lifetime trust, as there can be tax and legal implications.
Why Consider a Property Trust?
Setting up a property trust may help you:
- Ensure your children or loved ones inherit your share of the home
- Protect against sideways disinheritance after remarriage
- Reduce exposure to care home costs (when set up correctly and early)
- Maintain control over future occupation of the home
- Prevent disputes and family tension later on
A well-drafted trust works with your will—not against it—to give you and your family certainty.
Is a Property Trust Right for You?
Property trusts aren’t for everyone—but they’re extremely valuable in the right circumstances. You may want to consider one if:
- You’re in a second marriage or blended family
- You want to protect children’s inheritance
- You’re concerned about care costs affecting your legacy
- You want your share of the home to pass on your terms, not the law’s
Not sure if you need a trust or just a clear will? Talk to Meridian Legal Services—we’ll help you decide what’s best for your situation.
How Meridian Legal Services Can Help
Creating a valid and effective property trust takes specialist knowledge and careful coordination with your broader estate plan.
Here’s what we do:
- Assess your goals – We learn about your home, family, and future intentions
- Draft and customise your trust – Tailored documents based on your wishes
- Guide trustees – Help you choose the right people and explain their responsibilities
- Review your will and legal documents – Ensure everything works together
- Offer long-term support – We’re here if things change down the line
Everything is explained in plain English. No jargon. No confusion. Just straight, practical advice you can trust.
Let’s Protect Your Most Valuable Asset
You’ve worked hard for your home—don’t leave its future to chance. Whether you want to secure your children’s inheritance or prevent your estate from being drained by care fees, we’re here to help you make the right legal choices.
Contact Meridian Legal Services today to arrange a no-obligation consultation about property trusts and estate protection.
