STEP Certificate in Trusts and Estates (England and Wales)

The course is ideal for those who wish to gain an overview of the law, practice and procedures involved in the trusts and estates profession. The course aims to provide an introduction to the Diploma topics for those with less experience, who need to cement their understanding of the fundamentals.

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

You will be able to:

• Explain how the English legal system developed and distinguish between the roles of the various persons within it.
• Explain the different types of legislation, how statute is interpreted by the courts and how EU legislation is applied in English law.
• Describe how the law of trusts has developed and the parties to a trust.
• Explain the legal requirements of creating and constituting a trust.
• Explain the rules for making a valid will and the administration process for an intestate estate.
• Identify the main features of a set of estate accounts and know who is entitled to receive estate accounts and why.
• Identify the three tax regimes applicable to individuals, personal representatives and trustees, and know when each falls due.
• Explain the applicable tax exemptions and reliefs.

The course is designed for all professionals moving into a private client role, or, an aligned practice area who wish to develop their understanding of trusts and estates in England and Wales.

Students of this course typically include:

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

• Successful completion of the course will award students with 30 Entry-Level credits towards STEP membership. 
• The programme is open entry, allowing allows students to enrol without the requirement of previous experience/qualifications. 
• Ideal for professionals moving into the industry and looking for professional accreditation - ideal for professionals who wish to expand the advice they give or solicitors/legal professionals who may wish to retrain in the field of private client.  
• This course is also subject to the rigorous quality assurance procedures of Alliance Manchester Business School (Alliance MBS), a school of the University of Manchester. 
• Blended delivery, including structured workshops designed and taught by experienced practitioners and tutors and access to an online learning platform. 
• 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. 
• Access to 3 e-learning packages to supplement your understanding of the course, alongside a virtual classroom which students can attend live or watch the recording. Access to revision tools in the form of a specimen examination paper, and examiners reports from the last three sittings of the course. 
• Students can submit academic queries to a dedicated programme content team. 
• The course is subject to the rigorous quality assurance procedures of Manchester Business School, a Faculty of the University of Manchester. 

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 two 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 before the examination.

Please note all courses are delivered fully online.

Enrolment onto this course will include the following:

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

The course is assessed by way of a five-hour open-book written examination which comprises 20 compulsory multiple-choice questions (each worth one mark) and five mandatory 16-mark essay/problem style questions. The questions will be drawn from across the syllabus, and candidates must achieve 50% to pass the Certificate. 

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

July 2024 Course Timetable

Please note all courses are delivered fully online.

When selecting workshop dates for this course, please only select dates from same cohort, e.g. Group 1, 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.

Course Timetable - January 2025

Please note that the dates for January 2025 will be available for enrolment in April 2024. To register your interest in this intake, please contact the team through the enquiry form.

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.