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

Master the trust concept and trustee responsibilities with the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trusts: Law and Practice. Take a step closer to the STEP Diploma and achieve global recognition in the international trusts industry with this Advanced Certificate.

Course details

This course provides practitioners with the technical knowledge and practical skills required to manage wealth held in trust in a professional and effective manner in compliance with industry best practice. 

  • Gain in-depth expertise: Improve your technical knowledge of the trust concept and the role, powers, and duties of a trustee.
  • Practical focus: Practical advice and guidance written by practitioners, for practitioners on everyday matters encountered in international trust management from creation, modern usage, and administration of trusts.
  • Build valuable connections: Network with like-minded professionals in varied roles and firms from all over the world. 
  • Industry recognition: Recognised worldwide as the ‘gold-standard’ benchmark qualification for those working in the international trusts industry by employers, regulators, clients, and professionals, and is awarded in association with Alliance Manchester Business School, a School of the University of Manchester.
Awarded in association with AMBS

Course fees: £1,875 + local taxes

Course dates, fees and enrol now:

If you are not already a member of STEP, you need to join before enrolling onto this course as you will need your STEP membership number to hand when booking. Find out more here. Please allow five working days for your membership application to be approved by STEP. Applicable local taxes and discounts will be added to your basket on checkout for this course.

 

The course fee is increasing from 1 January 2026 – enrol now and benefit from the existing price.

Customised Pricing and Group Rates

Tailored pricing plans and group rate cards are available for firms seeking to train multiple team members or larger groups of employees. We are happy to work with you to design a cost-effective solution that aligns with your training goals and budget.

Enquire now via our Corporate Solutions team

Instalment Plans

You can pay for your course fees in instalments if you choose the interest-free instalment plans available for certain courses. Specifically, you can opt for three equal monthly instalments for Certificate and Advanced Certificate level courses that total over £800 (excluding VAT), or six equal monthly instalments for the Professional Postgraduate Diploma. Payments can be made using a credit or debit card.

Find out more about this course and the International Trust Management Diploma pathway at our online Information Session.

STEP Diploma: International Trust Management recommended route

 

 

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

Become a member of STEP

To take this course you need to be a member of STEP at Affiliate level or higher.

What will I learn?

  • Review of the trust concept
  • Marketing trust services and accepting new business
  • The trust instrument — part 1: preliminary provisions
  • The trust instrument — part 2: dispositive provisions
  • The trust instrument — part 3: administrative provisions
  • Choice of law to govern the trust
  • The role and status of a protector
  • Estate planning and forced heirship issues
  • Asset protection trusts
  • Purpose trusts
  • Private foundations

Course format

This course has been refreshed with updated content and new features! It will be available for study four times a year and includes:

  • expert-developed course material covering key global jurisdictions
  • podcast summaries of key topics
  • 4 interactive, tutor-led sessions focussed on application of knowledge
  • assessment preparation session and self-assessment questions
  • 4-hour final examination (comprising multiple choice and long-answer questions)

Is this course right for me?

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 assistants/officers/administrators
  • trust managers (senior)
  • trustees/fiduciaries
  • corporate administrators
  • lawyers/solicitors/attorneys
  • wealth managers
  • accountants
  • tax advisers
  • compliance officers/managers
  • private bankers
  • secretarial/administration
  • client relations/marketing/sales
  • financial/estate planners

What learners say:

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Always enjoyable, always informative. Without a doubt the courses have enhanced my knowledge and helped progress my career.

Anthony

Trust Officer

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I was thoroughly impressed with the STEP Trust Law and Practice course. The content was comprehensive, clearly structured even through more complex sections, and highly relevant to my professional development. The tuition was engaging, insightful, and delivered with real-world context that brought the material to life. I feel much more confident in applying trust law in practice and would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to deepen their expertise in this area.

Carla Brun

Senior Trust Administrator

Digital Certificates from April 2026

From April 6th 2026, printed certificates will no longer be issued. All certificates will be provided digitally via Diplomasafe. 

This change supports our commitment to sustainability and modernisation. Digital certificates are: 

  • Eco-friendly – reducing paper use and our carbon footprint 
  • Secure – each certificate includes a QR code for instant verification 
  • Convenient – easy to access, store, and share 

Certificates are issued by our credentials partner, Diplomasafe. CLTI will securely share data with Diplomasafe in line with GDPR to enable digital credentialing. Learn more: https://diplomasafe.com