STEP Advanced Certificate in Trusts: Law and Practice (International)

The course provides a review of the trust concept and the role, powers and duties of a trustee to enable trust practitioners to manage wealth held in trust in a professional and effective manner in compliance with industry best practice.

China Delivery - PUYI

STEP and CLT International have appointed PUYI Education, an education offshoot of PUYI, to deliver the globally recognised Diploma in International Trust Management to trusts and estates practitioners in China for the first time. For students looking to enrol for the first intake, please visit STEP Advanced Certificate in Trusts: Law and Practice (International) - China for information.

You will be able to:

• Explain and advice upon the roles, responsibilities and duties of trustees
• Appreciate how trust companies can market trust services in a competitive environment
• Comply with requirement upon being appointed as trustee, including in relation to AML, FATCA and CRS
• Be able to construe typical provisions of a trust instrument, including dispositive provisions of discretionary, settlor-directed and life interest trust
• Understand how to exercise a dispositive power to pay or apply income, ·appoint an absolute interest or upon new trusts and of re-settlement
• Understand the administrative powers and other provisions that trustees may require to administer the trust, invest and manage the trust fund
• Appreciate the significance of conflict of laws issues, choice and change of the governing law of the trust
• Administer a trust that confers dispositive and/or administrative powers upon a protector
• Discuss, advise on and implement an estate plan by use of a trust, in particular for persons resident and domiciled in a forced heirship jurisdiction
• Understand how offshore trusts may be used to protect family wealth (from creditors, claimants, litigants, trustees-in bankruptcy, and how to structure an asset-protection trust
• Administer a purpose trust used for typical functions and to hold certain assets, such as shares in a PTC or employee-benefit plan
• Understand the characteristics of a foundation, how to register and administer one as a member of its council.

The course is designed for all professionals moving into or working in financial services (specifically trusts and corporate services), who wish to develop their understanding and knowledge of this area.

Students of this course typically include:

• Trust Officers/Administrators
• Trust Managers (Senior)
• Trustees/Fiduciaries
• Corporate Administrators
• Lawyers/Solicitors/Attorneys
• Wealth Managers
• Accountants
• Tax Advisors
• Compliance Officers/Managers
• Private Bankers
• Secretarial/Administration
• Client Relations/Marketing/Sales
• Financial/Estate Planners

• Ideal for practitioners looking for professional accreditation.
• A recognised ‘gold-standard’ professional qualification for those working in the industry, globally recognised by employers, regulators, clients and professionals.
• Can be taken as a standalone qualification or as part of the STEP Diploma in International Trust Management.
• Blended delivery, written and taught by practitioners, focusing on everyday matters encountered in international trust management from creation, modern usage and administration of trusts.
• Provides students with the ability to grow their own professional network, interact with students online from a range of professions, build relationships and share study tips/support as a cohort.
• Provides 30 Diploma-Level credits towards STEP membership.
• The course is subject to the rigorous quality assurance procedures of Manchester Business School, a Faculty of the University of Manchester

Please note all courses are delivered fully online. 

This Advanced Certificate forms part of the STEP Diploma in International Trust Management, combined with three additional STEP Advanced Certificates.

• Advanced Certificate in Trusts: Law and Practice (International)
• Advanced Certificate in Company Law and Practice
• Advanced Certificate in Trustees’ Duties: Investment and Management of the Trust Fund
• Advanced Certificate in Principles of International Taxation, AML and Compliance

Each of these Advanced Certificates can be taken as a standalone qualification or as part of the Diploma programme.

This course is available for study all year round, with intakes at different points throughout the year. The core programme is delivered through a blend of distance-learning and four virtual workshops as part of a revision-week series delivered online by experts in the field who possess vast amounts of professional experience and practical knowledge.

We recommend that you spend four to six hours per week on private study for a minimum of four months prior to the examination.

Enrolment onto this course will provide access to an online learning platform that contains: 

• bespoke soft copy course manual
• supplementary resource material, including over 50 trust-related documents
• self-assessment material
• distance learning support
• four days of online tuition
• examination fees.

Additional charges will apply for re-sit attempts and deferrals.

The course is assessed by way of a five-hour open-book written examination which comprises 25 compulsory multiple-choice questions (each worth 1 mark), followed by three 25-mark essay/problem style questions chosen from a selection of five questions. The questions will be drawn from across the syllabus and candidates must achieve 50% in order to pass the Advanced Certificate.

China Delivery - PUYI

STEP and CLT International have appointed PUYI Education, an education offshoot of PUYI, to deliver the globally recognised Diploma in International Trust Management to trusts and estates practitioners in China for the first time. For students looking to enrol for the first intake, please visit STEP Advanced Certificate in Trusts: Law and Practice (International) - China for information.

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 Trusts: Law and Practice (International).

Course Timetable - 2022

Course Timetable - 2023

Please note that all regions are indicative of time zone only. Applications from students globally are accepted onto all courses, subject to satisfying the entry criteria. 

China Delivery - PUYI

STEP and CLT International have appointed PUYI Education, an education offshoot of PUYI, to deliver the globally recognised Diploma in International Trust Management to trusts and estates practitioners in China for the first time. For students looking to enrol for the first intake, please visit STEP Advanced Certificate in Trusts: Law and Practice (International) - China for information.

Please note all courses are delivered fully online. 

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 for further details on cltinternational@centlaw.com, +44 (0) 121 362 7733. 

Singapore Funding:

• Eligible Singapore-based students can now receive funding of 50% of the course fees. Visit Funding and Support for further details. 
• If you are based in Hong Kong or Singapore, please choose either Hong Kong Based or Singapore Based Course start date. All other students should select from the 2022 Course start date. 

China Delivery - PUYI 

• STEP and CLT International have appointed PUYI Education, an education offshoot of PUYI, to deliver the globally recognised Diploma in International Trust Management to trusts and estates practitioners in China for the first time. For students looking to enrol for the first intake, please visit STEP Advanced Certificate in Trusts: Law and Practice (International) - China for information.