Keeping up with new developments: What’s the best way to stay up to date?

By Ellie Blow

Staying up to date with legislative changes can feel like a chore when you’re a busy practitioner. This year has been particularly eventful for the trust and estate professionals, with the replacement of non-dom status amongst many major developments that have required close attention.

So, what are some of the most efficient strategies out there for keeping yourself abreast of what’s going on?

1. Join a STEP Special Interest Group

Your STEP membership gives you exclusive access to STEP’s membership Hub, where you can connect with fellow professionals and join Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Becoming part of a SIG aligned with your area of expertise is a great way to stay ahead of the curve on the latest developments and updates.

Asher Noor, former chair of the Business Families Global SIG, pointed out the benefits to members including ‘exclusive resources like training, events, and online content, along with regular updates, networking opportunities and discounted event rates’ in the recent CLTI Spotlight Report Working together: your career in family business. 

2. Read STEP’s technical literature

Iris Wuenschmann-Lyall TEP – whose twin roles as a consultant at Toby Harris Tax Consultants and a CLTI tutor make it crucial that she is on top of new legislative developments – is clear that STEP membership offers best-in-class technical support. She finds the STEP digests particularly useful. ‘Every two days I get an email [from STEP] with updates, new cases, etc,’ she says. 

These regular digests not only help professionals to stay on top of current developments in the law, but they also complement the deeper insights available through STEP’s flagship publications. Another privilege membership of STEP offers is access to the STEP Journal and the Trust Quarterly Review (non-members may also subscribe). Reading through these publications is a great way to immediately get a look at the headline news in terms of updates and changes, building on the snapshots provided in the digests with more detailed analysis and commentary. 

3. Learn with CLTI

‘Being a TEP entails a commitment to flexible and lifelong learning,’ says Donald Pearce-Crump TEP, a CLTI subject matter expert and author.  ‘There is nothing better in laying a firm foundation for your career than pursuing the formal, structured learning afforded by obtaining the professional qualifications offered by STEP and other professional bodies.’ 

While studying for a professional qualification might be more of a commitment than some of the other options suggested here, it does also have some of the greatest benefits. All of CLTI’s students get access to a bespoke learning programme and materials including a course manual – written by experts in the field – which sets out the legislative position in detail, so you can be confident you’re armed with the knowledge you need.

The STEP courses aren’t just for newcomers to the trust and estates profession, either. The Certificate and Advanced Certificate level programmes are perfect for someone who wishes to refresh and formalise their knowledge.

4. Attend a STEP event

The regular STEP events are not only invaluable opportunities for professional networking, but also a brilliant way to hear directly from professionals involved in legislative developments about what’s happening at the forefront of the profession.

‘The conferences are incredibly useful, because you’ve got these very, very eminent speakers, talking about new legislation,’ Iris Wuenschmann-Lyall adds. ‘It is incredibly important to be up to date.’

You can check to see what’s upcoming here

Staying informed is important, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. There are lots of ways to make sure you’re up to date and joining a professional body like STEP is one of them. Studying for your STEP qualifications is the first step in gaining access to a wealth of resources and opportunities.

You may also like to read:

Why study towards a STEP Diploma?

The five-hour rule: The benefits of deliberate learning