Family Asset Protection Trusts in Greater Manchester
Protecting the assets you have worked hard for is one of the most important steps you can take when planning for your family’s future. At Syrus Wills, we help clients across Greater Manchester create Family Asset Protection Trusts, giving them control, security, and confidence that their home, savings, and investments are preserved for the people they care about most.
Planning ahead ensures that your assets pass to the right beneficiaries without unnecessary worry. A Family Asset Protection Trust, often referred to as an FAPT, provides a structured way to safeguard what you own, giving you long term protection and peace of mind.
Many families assume their assets will automatically pass to their children or chosen beneficiaries. In reality, several life events can disrupt those intentions. Divorce, remarriage, blended families, debt, or simply the absence of a suitable Will can cause assets to pass in ways that were never intended.
A Family Asset Protection Trust is designed to prevent these issues and maintain control over how your estate is managed.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way
How a Family Asset Protection Trust Works
A Family Asset Protection Trust helps you secure your property, savings, and investments so they pass to your chosen beneficiaries at the right time. This can apply to your main residence, rental properties, savings accounts, or other assets you wish to protect.
When set up correctly, the Trust can:
- Preserve your assets for children or grandchildren
- Protect your home for your family after your death
- Prevent assets from being redirected through remarriage or divorce
- Maintain control over who inherits and when
- Support vulnerable beneficiaries who may need long term guidance
The structure also ensures that your estate is managed according to your personal wishes, rather than being influenced by future relationships or unexpected changes in circumstance.
Lifetime Trusts and Will Trusts
There are two main types of Family Asset Protection Trusts, each serving a specific purpose.
Lifetime Trusts
A Lifetime Trust is created while you are still alive. It allows you to protect your assets immediately, maintaining the security and control you need. This structure is often chosen by clients who want to safeguard their home against future risks or who want to put their affairs in order early.
Will Trusts
A Will Trust comes into effect after you have passed away and forms part of your Will. It allows you to set clear instructions for how your assets should be managed and protected for the next generation.
During your initial consultation, we explain how both Trusts work and help you choose the structure that best aligns with your circumstances and long term goals.
Understanding Sideways Disinheritance
One of the most common reasons couples choose an FAPT is to protect against sideways disinheritance. This occurs when assets unintentionally pass away from children and towards new partners or extended families after one spouse dies.
Consider this example. A couple intends for their home and savings to go to their children once both have passed away. If the first spouse dies and the surviving spouse later remarries, then divorces, the original assets could be pulled into divorce proceedings. The children may receive little or nothing, even though both parents intended otherwise.
A similar issue arises if the surviving spouse remarries and then dies without creating a new Will. In that situation, the new spouse could receive most, if not all, of the assets. The children from the first marriage would again be left with very little.
These situations happen more often than many people realise, and they can cause distress, confusion, and long term financial loss. A Family Asset Protection Trust prevents these outcomes by keeping your chosen beneficiaries at the centre of your planning.
Contact us for Initial Consultation Meeting
If you want to safeguard your home, savings, and inheritance for your family’s future, we are here to help. Arrange your initial consultation by calling 01942 795795 or email jayne@syruswills.co.uk.