STEP Advanced Certificate in the Administration of Estates (England and Wales)

The course enables you to improve your technical knowledge of the issues arising in estate practice, enhancing your ability to give holistic advice to your clients as a trusted advisor. It increases your understanding of the administration of estates and enables you to give practical advice on the law and procedures involved. 

This course is awarded in association with Alliance Manchester Business School, the University of Manchester.

You will be able to 

• Describe the classification and types of trusts, their uses, what affects their validity, their premature cessation and under what circumstances they can and cannot be altered. 
• Advise on the taxation of each trust type. 
• Explain, advise and comment on the use of the trust in modern tax planning. 
• Understand and interpret the legal complexities and language pertinent to trust deeds. 
• Describe the roles, responsibilities, limitations, and liabilities of trustees. 
• Advise on the legal formalities involved in the preparation of a valid will and be alert to the pitfalls. 
• Analyse the content and validity of an existing will, assess its value to a client and advise to what extent it will meet their objectives. 
• Advise on the tax-effective will. 
• Advise on the tax implications and legal considerations of making lifetime gifts and gifts made in contemplation of death. 
• Describe the roles, responsibilities, limitations, and liabilities of the executor. 
• Advise on the legal management of the client estate, including probate and intestacy issues, evaluation of any risks involved, deeds of variation, disclaimers, and insolvency. 
• Advise on taxation issues relating to the transference of private client wealth, specifically inheritance tax and capital gains tax, and how the burden of taxation can be minimised. 
• Construct and interpret trust and client estate accounts. 

Students of this course typically include: 

• Legal and trust professionals 
• Support staff and paralegals 
• Accountants and banking professionals 
• Tax advisors 
• Independent financial advisors 
• Executorship administrators 

• Successful completion of the course will award students with 30 Diploma-Level credits towards STEP membership. 
• Ideal for practitioners looking for professional accreditation, moving into or already working within the trusts and estates profession. 
• A recognised ‘gold-standard’ professional qualification for those working in the industry, globally recognised by employers, regulators, clients, and professionals. 
• Ability to grow your own professional network, meeting students from a range of professions providing an opportunity for networking, building relationships, and sharing study tips/support as a cohort. 
• Students can submit academic queries to a dedicated programme content team. 
• Blended delivery, including structured workshops designed and taught by experienced practitioners and tutors and access to an online learning platform. 
• The course is subject to the rigorous quality assurance procedures of Manchester Business School, a Faculty of the University of Manchester. 

60 Entry-Level Credits 

Note: Applicants must have obtained 60 STEP Entry-Level credits to enrol onto this course or be a member of STEP. Visit  STEP's Qualifications and Membership to understand how to apply. 

This course is available for study twice annually, with intakes beginning in January and July (and assessments taking place in May and November). The programme is delivered through a combination of online learning and three workshops and will take four months to complete. We recommend that you spend four to six hours per week on private study for the four months prior to the examination. 

Enrolment onto this course will include the following: 

• a bespoke soft copy course manual 
• access to an online learning platform that contains:  
• tailor-made webinars 
• self-assessment material 
• distance learning support 
• attendance at three days of tuition 
• examination fees. 

The course is assessed by way of a five-hour open-book written examination which comprises six 20-mark questions, from which candidates must answer five. The questions will be drawn from across the syllabus and candidates must achieve 50% to pass the Advanced Certificate.  

Once you have successfully completed this course, you will gain 30 Diploma-Level credits towards STEP membership and be awarded the STEP Advanced Certificate in Administration of Estates (England and Wales). 

2024 Course Timetable

2025 Course Timetable

Please note all courses are delivered fully online. 

When selecting workshop dates, please only select dates from same cohort, e.g. Group 1 or Group 2, etc.  Workshops do have a limited capacity, so in the event of capacity being reached, alternative dates will be allocated to you.

Please check your booking confirmation for your workshop dates and get in touch if you have any queries relating to this.

Thank you for your interest in CLTI or STEP products. Due to government regulations, we are unable to accept online payments from, or, on behalf of students from certain countries and territories without prior agreement. Please contact us if you need anymore information on this.