STEP Sussex Summer Special

We have 2 fantastic speakers for this event

Tom Dumont KC

Variations & Rectifications: how amenable are trusts (and the courts) to change?

• Limits and potential of the court's powers under Variation of Trusts Act and Trustee Act.
• Width of powers of advancement or appointment.
• how far can you stretch rectification - of wills and trusts?
• Possibilities and pooh-traps for deeds of variation.
• When all else fails, is there a final trick to be played?

While trusts and wills seem to be written in stone, Tom will examine how flexible and malleable they sometimes can (and cannot) be.

Lesley King

A Private Client Update

This session will give an update on the recent developments in Wills, taxation and administration. It will cover the latest case law developments and changes to practice and procedure. It will look at the latest on pensions and IHT.

The precise content will depend on events in the next few months but the session is likely to include:

• Dealing with recalcitrant beneficiaries

• Costs and Larke v Nugus letters

• Removing trustees: what to do and not to do

• Different requirements for common intention and acquisition construction trusts

This is an in-person event. We will not sell the notes separately

Profiles

Tom Dumont KC

Thomas Dumont KC is one of the most in-demand barristers for private client matters, including contentious trusts and probate, family provision and professional liability disputes. He has been Advocate of the Year at STEP’s Private Client Awards, one of the Lawyer’s Hot 100, and among City Wealth’s Most Highly Regarded Figures in Private Wealth Management. He has won cases in the Supreme Court, the Administrative Court and the Court of Appeal, as well as the High Court. He is recognized for his expertise in advising and acting for charities. His clients range from landed families and trust companies on and offshore, to entrepreneurs and national charities.

Lesley King

Professor Lesley King is a former member of the Probate & Estates Committee of STEP, a former member of the Law Society’s Wills & Equity Committee and an honorary member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists and Solicitors for the Elderly. She is Professional Development Consultant at the University of Law.

She is co-author of Wills, Taxation and Administration: A Practical Guide; A Modern Approach to Wills, Administration and Estate Planning (with Precedents); A Modern Approach to Lifetime Tax Planning for Private Clients (with Precedents); A Practitioner’s Guide to Wills; Varying the Disposition of an Estate after Death; Wills: A Practical Guide; and editor of The Probate Practitioner’s Handbook.

She is a contributor to the Wills and Trusts volumes of Halsbury’s Laws and the Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents.

She writes and lectures extensively on wills, taxation and related matters.

Also, a great opportunity to meet and chat with STEP EPP, CLTi and BHF about working with charities as beneficiaries:

STEP – Rob Thompson, Head of Employer Relationships Team

Rob is responsible for STEP’s Employer Partnership Programme (EPP) accreditation, which is an initiative by STEP designed to foster strong partnerships with employers and recognise their commitment to developing the expertise of their employees. Rob will be available to advise on how his team works with employers, to support the career development opportunities of their people, alongside STEP membership and qualification pathways.

CLTI – Vicky Hand, Head of Strategic Partnerships

Vicky leads Strategic Partnerships at CLTI, the primary training provider for STEP, helping firms build capability across their teams through STEP’s globally recognised qualifications and customised learning programmes. Vicky will be available to discuss the qualification pathways available to members and different types of partnership opportunities available to employers.

BHF - Erica Pearce-Howard, Senior Legacy Officer at British Heart Foundation

Erica is a STEP member and a very experienced Private Client lawyer, with over 25 years of being in private practice before joining British Heart Foundation in 2024. In her role, Erica works closely with Executors, Trustees, and professionals and is passionate about a collaborative, empathetic approach to estate administration.

Dates for your diaries:

13 October 2026: another of Anthony Nixon's popular workshops with IHT/Tax case studies

November 2026: we are planning a seminar with talks covering topics around charity beneficiaries

We would like to thank TrinityBridge and Title Research for sponsoring this seminar.

At TrinityBridge we have been helping individuals, families, professionals and businesses to make confident financial choices for more than 30 years. Our approach to wealth management is strategic – recognising the essential relationships that exist between our clients, their investment managers and their professional advisers. Our research led, multi-asset class investment management services are geared to generate the best possible returns for each client. Our financial planning services are considered and long-term in outlook – designed with financial freedom and security in mind.
With teams and offices across the UK - from Chichester to Edinburgh and Bristol to London, TrinityBridge is set up to offer financial clarity wherever and whenever our clients need us.
Find out more at trinitybridge.com

At Title Research, we specialise in probate genealogy and handling cross border estates on behalf of legal professionals. We have more than 60 years experience of working with the private client community and we believe that the estate value should be maximised for all beneficiaries and our solutions are designed to save legal professionals time, allowing them to focus on other aspects of the estate administration process. Our international network of partnerships means we can operate globally, wherever the beneficiaries or assets may be.

www.titleresearch.com

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