{"id":3828,"date":"2022-06-09T02:58:47","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T01:58:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?p=3828"},"modified":"2025-07-02T00:41:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T23:41:27","slug":"commercial-vs-estate-trust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust in England and Wales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The law of trusts in England and Wales is a tricky area of law. In a commercial context, you may have come across \u201ctrusts\u201d and \u201ctrustees\u201d. Likewise, you may be curious about the distinction between a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/corporations\/corporate-trustee\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">corporate trustee<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and an individual trustee. This article will explain the foundation of all trusts and their commercial functions. It will also explore the difference between a commercial and estate trust, and how corporate trustees differ from individual trustees.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Foundations of Trusts<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can think of a trust as a unique way to hold and manage property, such as cash, shares, or land. All trusts operate by separating the legal principle of ownership in a piece of property into three different kinds of people:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a settlor;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a trustee; and&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">beneficiaries.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A trust arises when ownership rights in property are separated so that different ownership rights and obligations in the property are split into these three categories. This happens when the \u201cbeneficial owner\u201d of the property declares their intent to create a trust. The beneficial owner will then transfer the legal title to the property to the trustees. The trustees will then manage the property on behalf of the beneficiaries.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ownership&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ownership in any piece of property, such as land, cash, or shares in a company, implies that there are two things you can do with the property:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You get to enjoy the benefit of the property; and<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You have the right to \u201cdispose of\u201d the property, such as by selling it, gifting it, loaning it, or using it as collateral to borrow some other kind of property.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first right is called the \u201cbeneficial interest\u201d in the property, sometimes referred to as the \u201cequitable interest\u201d or simply \u201cequity in the property\u201d. The second right is called the \u201clegal title\u201d of the property. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box box--icon box--info\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you have both the beneficial interest in and legal title to the property, the law says you are the beneficial owner.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Let us say you are the beneficial owner of a house. By having a beneficial interest in the house, the obvious benefit is the right to live there.&nbsp;If you have the legal title to the house, you can also do certain things such as mortgage the house or lease it to someone else. If you lease the house, you will still retain some beneficial interest because you will collect rent from the house.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ownership Under a Trust<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Say you own a country home that you want to leave to your wife and kids in case you die. However, you do not want anyone to sell the house so long as they are alive.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Accordingly, you can create a trust that arises when you die where you transfer the legal title to a trustee. This could be your friend or a professional trustee. Under the terms of the trust instrument, you can specify that your wife and children are entitled to live in the country house for all of their lives but have no right to sell it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this case, you would be the settlor, and your family would be the beneficiaries. Further, the person you nominate to hold the house on trust for your family would be the trustee, who would hold the legal title to the house.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Commercial Contexts of Trusts<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Trusts can exist in two contexts:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">private \u201cestates\u201d; and&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">commercial trusts.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can think of estates as wealth planning, such as in the case above regarding your country home.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A commercial trust is more concerned about the management of money in a distinctly commercial context, such as holding money on behalf of several parties to a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/corporations\/what-is-business-joint-venture\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">joint venture<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, like a big investment project.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box box--icon box--info\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are situations where estates and commercial trusts overlap, such as trusts designed to hold shares in a family business on behalf of the family members.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Examples of Commercial Trusts&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Trusts in a commercial context can arise expressly, such as where parties intend to create a trust). Alternatively, trusts can arise automatically, such as when the law says that there is a trust because of the circumstances.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additionally, you can create and use a commercial trust to facilitate certain financial relationships and transactions, including when:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">banks lend large sums of money to a big company;&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">companies hold customer money on trust to ensure the customer\u2019s money will not be lost should the company go insolvent;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/corporations\/company-trade-whilst-insolvent\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">company goes insolvent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and its property is transferred to a liquidator or administrator;&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">creating security interests in property as part of a loan;&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">issuing bonds and other commercial papers to professional investors;&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">creating <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/corporations\/employee-share-scheme\/\">employee share schemes<\/a>;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">creating agreements between groups of creditors for a single borrower; and&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">reserving employee pension money in a pension scheme.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n<a href=\"#content-next\"\n   class=\"block p-4 mt-10 text-xl font-bold text-center text-white no-underline bg-gray-800 rounded-t-xl\">\n    Continue reading this article below the form\n    <i class=\"text-xl fa-regular fa-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n<\/a>\n<div class=\"px-6 pt-10 pb-12 mb-10 text-center bg-gray-100 rounded-b-xl sm:px-12 test\">\n    <div class=\"mb-8 text-2xl font-bold text-orange\">\n        Need legal advice?\n        <br>\n        <span class=\"text-lg not-prose\">\n                            Call <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"not-prose\">0808 196 8584<\/a> for urgent assistance.\n                <br>\n                Otherwise, complete this form, and we will contact you within one business day.\n                    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n<div class=\"not-prose flex justify-center text-left gform_input_bg_white    \">\n    <script>\nvar gform;gform||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.scriptsLoaded=!0}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){gform.domLoaded=!0}),gform={domLoaded:!1,scriptsLoaded:!1,themeScriptsLoaded:!1,isFormEditor:()=>\"function\"==typeof InitializeEditor,callIfLoaded:function(o){return!(!gform.domLoaded||!gform.scriptsLoaded||!gform.themeScriptsLoaded&&!gform.isFormEditor()||(gform.isFormEditor()&&console.warn(\"The use of gform.initializeOnLoaded() is deprecated in the form editor context and will be removed in Gravity Forms 3.1.\"),o(),0))},initializeOnLoaded:function(o){gform.callIfLoaded(o)||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.scriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",()=>{gform.domLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}))},hooks:{action:{},filter:{}},addAction:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"action\",o,r,e,t)},addFilter:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"filter\",o,r,e,t)},doAction:function(o){gform.doHook(\"action\",o,arguments)},applyFilters:function(o){return gform.doHook(\"filter\",o,arguments)},removeAction:function(o,r){gform.removeHook(\"action\",o,r)},removeFilter:function(o,r,e){gform.removeHook(\"filter\",o,r,e)},addHook:function(o,r,e,t,n){null==gform.hooks[o][r]&&(gform.hooks[o][r]=[]);var d=gform.hooks[o][r];null==n&&(n=r+\"_\"+d.length),gform.hooks[o][r].push({tag:n,callable:e,priority:t=null==t?10:t})},doHook:function(r,o,e){var t;if(e=Array.prototype.slice.call(e,1),null!=gform.hooks[r][o]&&((o=gform.hooks[r][o]).sort(function(o,r){return o.priority-r.priority}),o.forEach(function(o){\"function\"!=typeof(t=o.callable)&&(t=window[t]),\"action\"==r?t.apply(null,e):e[0]=t.apply(null,e)})),\"filter\"==r)return e[0]},removeHook:function(o,r,t,n){var e;null!=gform.hooks[o][r]&&(e=(e=gform.hooks[o][r]).filter(function(o,r,e){return!!(null!=n&&n!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][r]=e)}});\n<\/script>\n\n                <div class='gf_browser_gecko gform_wrapper gravity-theme gform-theme--no-framework lawyer-form_wrapper gplaceholder_wrapper form-with-labels-no-asterisks_wrapper has-new-validation-error-styling_wrapper' data-form-theme='gravity-theme' data-form-index='0' id='gform_wrapper_2453' style='display:none'><div id='gf_2453' class='gform_anchor' tabindex='-1'><\/div><form method='post' enctype='multipart\/form-data' target='gform_ajax_frame_2453' id='gform_2453' class='lawyer-form gplaceholder form-with-labels-no-asterisks has-new-validation-error-styling' action='\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3828#gf_2453' data-formid='2453' novalidate>\n                        <div class='gform-body gform_body'><div id='gform_fields_2453' class='gform_fields top_label form_sublabel_below description_below validation_below'><div id=\"field_2453_1000\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-honeypot gform_validation_container field_sublabel_below gfield--has-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_1000'>Name<\/label><div class='ginput_container'><input name='input_1000' id='input_2453_1000' type='text' value='' autocomplete='new-password'\/><\/div><div class='gfield_description' id='gfield_description_2453_1000'>This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.<\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_1\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-text gfield--input-type-text gf_left_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_1'>First Name<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_1' id='input_2453_1' type='text' value='' class='medium'     aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_12\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-text gfield--input-type-text gf_right_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_12'>Last Name<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_12' id='input_2453_12' type='text' value='' class='medium'     aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_2\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-email gfield--input-type-email gf_left_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_2'>Email Address<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_email'>\n                            <input name='input_2' id='input_2453_2' type='email' value='' class='medium'    aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"  \/>\n                        <\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_3\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-phone gfield--input-type-phone gf_right_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_3'>Phone<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_phone'><input name='input_3' id='input_2453_3' type='tel' value='' class='medium'   aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_14\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-select gfield--input-type-select gfield--width-full custom-select gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_14'>Number of Employees in Your Business<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_select'><select name='input_14' id='input_2453_14' class='large gfield_select'    aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" ><option value='' selected='selected'>Select ...<\/option><option value='0' >0<\/option><option value='1' >1-5<\/option><option value='6' >6-20<\/option><option value='21' >21-50<\/option><option value='51' >51-250<\/option><option value='250' >250+<\/option><\/select><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_4\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-textarea gfield--input-type-textarea gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_4'>Tell us about your enquiry<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_textarea'><textarea name='input_4' id='input_2453_4' class='textarea medium'     aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   rows='10' cols='50'><\/textarea><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_5\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-html gfield--input-type-html gfield_html gfield_html_formatted gfield_no_follows_desc field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  >By submitting this form, you agree to receive emails from LegalVision and can unsubscribe at any time. View our <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/privacy-notice\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. <\/div><div id=\"field_2453_8\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gfield--input-type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_8' id='input_2453_8' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='http:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3828' \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_13\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gfield--input-type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_13' id='input_2453_13' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='generic_form' \/><\/div><\/div><fieldset id=\"field_2453_999\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-checkbox gfield--type-choice gfield__uk-marketo-opt-in field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><legend class='gfield_label gform-field-label screen-reader-text' ><\/legend><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_checkbox'><div class='gfield_checkbox ' id='input_2453_999'><div class='gchoice gchoice_2453_999_1'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class='gfield-choice-input' name='input_999.1' type='checkbox'  value='1'  id='choice_2453_999_1'   \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for='choice_2453_999_1' id='label_2453_999_1' class='gform-field-label gform-field-label--type-inline'>By submitting this form, you agree to receive content and event invitations from us to help you grow your business. If you do not want to receive such messages, tick here.<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/fieldset><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class='gform-footer gform_footer top_label'> <button type=\"submit\" id=\"gform_submit_button_2453\" class=\"gform_button button\" onclick=\"gform.submission.handleButtonClick(this);\" data-submission-type=\"submit\"><span class=\"gform_submit_button__text\">Submit Now<\/span><\/button> <input type='hidden' name='gform_ajax' value='form_id=2453&amp;title=&amp;description=&amp;tabindex=0&amp;theme=gravity-theme&amp;hash=ec2463697d0d9cef7b71236ae60964c7' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submission_method' data-js='gform_submission_method_2453' value='iframe' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_theme' data-js='gform_theme_2453' id='gform_theme_2453' value='gravity-theme' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_style_settings' data-js='gform_style_settings_2453' id='gform_style_settings_2453' value='' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='is_submit_2453' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submit' value='2453' \/>\n            \n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_currency' data-currency='GBP' value='Rerd8kvfBW0hGghx6GTRPsl8Dw\/Eolhs78BnzZ7QkRucLyLCAQdtqzm4E+w8yZY5jOcuZ7eUG0GAlZXJfRS\/xUhRTVNVesGCJXHsZ\/yUyOFhbFA=' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_unique_id' value='' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='state_2453' value='WyJ7XCIxNFwiOltcIjIyODY0N2ViMWU3NTcxZjA4YTY4NGJmMDcwMTk3Y2I0XCIsXCJiMzk3YmQ1MDBmMmFjNjk1ODE4MzdmNTBhYTA2MzQ0OFwiLFwiNGYyNGZkZGEwMzlkNDUxMWFhZGE1NGYwZmQwZmNiZTdcIixcIjUyMmJkMDE2M2I2ZmEwOTI3NDZhZjU5YTg0ZmM1NDk5XCIsXCIzODRlNjk1YjQxMTAzMWFiYmQ2ODEyMGYyZWFhMDYyNlwiLFwiYjkzNDcwNTE2MjkxOGRjZWViMjQzNzRjNmE0NGVmNTlcIixcIjQxMTliODZhMzVjYzJiMWViNDZiMmQ4NjRlNGUzZmNjXCJdfSIsIjQ3MjNiMzA2ZDIyZGVkODA2N2YyMjYyOThkYzI1ODVmIl0=' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_target_page_number_2453' id='gform_target_page_number_2453' value='0' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_source_page_number_2453' id='gform_source_page_number_2453' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' name='gform_field_values' value='' \/>\n            \n        <\/div>\n                        <\/form>\n                        <\/div>\n\t\t                <iframe style='display:none;width:0px;height:0px;' src='about:blank' name='gform_ajax_frame_2453' id='gform_ajax_frame_2453' title='This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms.'><\/iframe>\n\t\t                <script>\ngform.initializeOnLoaded( function() {gformInitSpinner( 2453, 'https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/legalv-v6\/img\/spinner.svg', true );jQuery('#gform_ajax_frame_2453').on('load',function(){var contents = jQuery(this).contents().find('*').html();var is_postback = contents.indexOf('GF_AJAX_POSTBACK') >= 0;if(!is_postback){return;}var form_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_wrapper_2453');var is_confirmation = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_confirmation_wrapper_2453').length > 0;var is_redirect = contents.indexOf('gformRedirect(){') >= 0;var is_form = form_content.length > 0 && ! is_redirect && ! is_confirmation;var mt = parseInt(jQuery('html').css('margin-top'), 10) + parseInt(jQuery('body').css('margin-top'), 10) + 100;if(is_form){form_content.find('form').css('opacity', 0);jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').html(form_content.html());if(form_content.hasClass('gform_validation_error')){jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').addClass('gform_validation_error');} else {jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').removeClass('gform_validation_error');}setTimeout( function() { \/* delay the scroll by 50 milliseconds to fix a bug in chrome *\/ jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').offset().top - mt); }, 50 );if(window['gformInitDatepicker']) {gformInitDatepicker();}if(window['gformInitPriceFields']) {gformInitPriceFields();}var current_page = jQuery('#gform_source_page_number_2453').val();gformInitSpinner( 2453, 'https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/legalv-v6\/img\/spinner.svg', true );jQuery(document).trigger('gform_page_loaded', [2453, current_page]);window['gf_submitting_2453'] = false;}else if(!is_redirect){var confirmation_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('.GF_AJAX_POSTBACK').html();if(!confirmation_content){confirmation_content = contents;}jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').replaceWith(confirmation_content);jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gf_2453').offset().top - mt);jQuery(document).trigger('gform_confirmation_loaded', [2453]);window['gf_submitting_2453'] = false;wp.a11y.speak(jQuery('#gform_confirmation_message_2453').text());}else{jQuery('#gform_2453').append(contents);if(window['gformRedirect']) {gformRedirect();}}jQuery(document).trigger(\"gform_pre_post_render\", [{ formId: \"2453\", currentPage: \"current_page\", abort: function() { this.preventDefault(); } }]);        if (event && event.defaultPrevented) {                return;        }        const gformWrapperDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_wrapper_2453\" );        if ( gformWrapperDiv ) {            const visibilitySpan = document.createElement( \"span\" );            visibilitySpan.id = \"gform_visibility_test_2453\";            gformWrapperDiv.insertAdjacentElement( \"afterend\", visibilitySpan );        }        const visibilityTestDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_visibility_test_2453\" );        let postRenderFired = false;        function triggerPostRender() {            if ( postRenderFired ) {                return;            }            postRenderFired = true;            gform.core.triggerPostRenderEvents( 2453, current_page );            if ( visibilityTestDiv ) {                visibilityTestDiv.parentNode.removeChild( visibilityTestDiv );            }        }        function debounce( func, wait, immediate ) {            var timeout;            return function() {                var context = this, args = arguments;                var later = function() {                    timeout = null;                    if ( !immediate ) func.apply( context, args );                };                var callNow = immediate && !timeout;                clearTimeout( timeout );                timeout = setTimeout( later, wait );                if ( callNow ) func.apply( context, args );            };        }        const debouncedTriggerPostRender = debounce( function() {            triggerPostRender();        }, 200 );        if ( visibilityTestDiv && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent === null ) {            const observer = new MutationObserver( ( mutations ) => {                mutations.forEach( ( mutation ) => {                    if ( mutation.type === 'attributes' && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent !== null ) {                        debouncedTriggerPostRender();                        observer.disconnect();                    }                });            });            observer.observe( document.body, {                attributes: true,                childList: false,                subtree: true,                attributeFilter: [ 'style', 'class' ],            });        } else {            triggerPostRender();        }    } );} );\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"content-next\"><!-- scroll anchor --><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Corporate vs Individual Trustees<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For both estates and commercial trusts, it is possible to nominate either a corporate trustee (also called a commercial trustee) or an individual trustee (i.e. a natural person) to hold the legal title of the property on behalf of the beneficiaries.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A corporate trustee is an incorporated body like a company or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/corporations\/limited-partnership\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">limited liability partnership<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that acts as a trustee. By and large, the duties and powers of both corporate and individual trustees are similar. However, the law tends to put more restrictions on what individual trustees can do compared to corporate trustees, such as the right of the trustee to:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">pay themselves for their services;&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">obtain investment advice;&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">deal with land in certain ways.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Key Takeaways&nbsp;<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">All trusts split up the legal concept of ownership of property into three different categories: the legal title, the beneficial interest, and the trust itself. A settlor, who has beneficial ownership in the property, transfers the legal title to the trustee. The trustee then manages the property on behalf of the beneficiaries. It is possible for some of these positions to overlap, such as the settlor creating a trust on their own behalf. In a commercial context, trusts facilitate complex transactions and relationships, such as large investment projects and employee pension schemes.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you need help with managing your commercial trust, our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-lawyers-lp\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">experienced business lawyers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> can assist as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to lawyers to answer your questions and draft and review your documents. Call us today on <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"AVANSERnumber dynamic-number\">0808 196 8584<\/a> or visit our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/membership\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">membership page<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1654739476123\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is a corporate trustee?\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">A corporate trustee, which the law refers to as a trust corporation, is an incorporated body, such as a company, that acts like any other trustee. It can hold property on behalf of the beneficiaries to a trust.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1654739488592\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What are the requirements to be a trust corporation?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">To act as a trust corporation, a company must have a certain amount of called-up share capital and be based in the UK or another EU member state.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n<div class=\"not-prose m-feedback-prompt\">\n    <!-- Thumbs up\/down bar -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__main\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__title\">Was this article helpful?<\/div>\n        <div>\n            <!--span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button--text\">Thanks!<\/span-->\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--yes\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:yes\" aria-label=\"Agree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-up fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--no\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:no\" aria-label=\"Disagree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-down fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Feedback form -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--thanks \">\n            <div>Thanks!<\/div>\n            <p>\n                We appreciate your feedback \u2013 your submission has been successfully received.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form id=\"contact-form\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--form\" action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"authenticity_token\" name=\"authenticity_token\" value=\"1924c0ad83\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3828\" \/>            <input value=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenturl\"\n                   id=\"currenturl\">\n            <input value=\"What is the Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust in England and Wales\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenttitle\"\n                   id=\"currenttitle\">\n            <label>\n                <!-- display on thumbs-up -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--yes\">\n                    Can you tell us <span class=\"font-semibold\">why<\/span> you found it helpful?\n                <\/span>\n\n                <!-- display on thumbs-down -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--no text-lg\">\n                    How can we better improve this article?\n                <\/span>\n                <textarea name=\"feedbackmessage\" id=\"feedbackmessage\" required><\/textarea>\n            <\/label>\n\n            <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--error\" id=\"form-submit-error\"><\/div>\n            <button id=\"submit-contact-form-button\" type=\"submit\" name=\"commit\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--submit\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:submit\">\n                Submit            <\/button>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The law of trusts in England and Wales is a tricky area of law. In a commercial context, you may have come across \u201ctrusts\u201d and \u201ctrustees\u201d. Likewise, you may be curious about the distinction between a corporate trustee and an individual trustee. This article will explain the foundation of all trusts and their commercial functions.<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;What is the Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust in England and Wales&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13461,"featured_media":3235,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"1794,1914,3377,1365,860,2299","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[21,96,147,223,789,790],"class_list":["post-3828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-structures","tag-medium-business","tag-corporate-trustee","tag-commercial-trust","tag-large-business","tag-estate-trust","tag-individual-trustee"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust | LegalVision UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Trusts facilitate complex transactions and relationships. We explain the difference between a commercial vs estate trust in England and Wales.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust | LegalVision UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Trusts facilitate complex transactions and relationships. We explain the difference between a commercial vs estate trust in England and Wales.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"LegalVision UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LegalVision\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-06-09T01:58:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-01T23:41:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24122211\/business-image-0522176.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"923\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"692\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kieran Ram\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@LegalVision_law\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@LegalVision_law\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kieran Ram\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kieran Ram\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/5a59ade89273f68f939c7cb8cc66e6f1\"},\"headline\":\"What is the Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust in England and Wales\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-06-09T01:58:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-01T23:41:27+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/\"},\"wordCount\":1176,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24122211\/business-image-0522176.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"medium business\",\"corporate trustee\",\"commercial trust\",\"large business\",\"estate trust\",\"individual trustee\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Business Structuring Articles\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/\",\"name\":\"Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust | LegalVision UK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24122211\/business-image-0522176.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-06-09T01:58:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-01T23:41:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/5a59ade89273f68f939c7cb8cc66e6f1\"},\"description\":\"Trusts facilitate complex transactions and relationships. We explain the difference between a commercial vs estate trust in England and Wales.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#breadcrumb\"},\"mainEntity\":[{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#faq-question-1654739476123\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#faq-question-1654739488592\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24122211\/business-image-0522176.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24122211\/business-image-0522176.jpg\",\"width\":923,\"height\":692,\"caption\":\"Do I Need to Follow Money Laundering Rules?\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Business Structuring Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/category\/business-structures\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What is the Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust in England and Wales\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/\",\"name\":\"LegalVision UK\",\"description\":\"LegalVision is a commercial law firm in the UK with a commitment to innovation\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/5a59ade89273f68f939c7cb8cc66e6f1\",\"name\":\"Kieran Ram\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/04\/Kieran-2349-scaled-e1714435159620-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/04\/Kieran-2349-scaled-e1714435159620-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Kieran Ram\"},\"description\":\"Kieran is a Trainee Solicitor in LegalVision\u2019s Corporate and Commercial team. He has completed a Law Degree, the Legal Practice Course and a Masters in Sports Law, specialising in Football Law.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/author\/kieranram\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#faq-question-1654739476123\",\"name\":\"What is a corporate trustee?\u00a0\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A corporate trustee, which the law refers to as a trust corporation, is an incorporated body, such as a company, that acts like any other trustee. It can hold property on behalf of the beneficiaries to a trust.\u00a0\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#faq-question-1654739488592\",\"name\":\"What are the requirements to be a trust corporation?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"To act as a trust corporation, a company must have a certain amount of called-up share capital and be based in the UK or another EU member state.\u00a0\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust | LegalVision UK","description":"Trusts facilitate complex transactions and relationships. We explain the difference between a commercial vs estate trust in England and Wales.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust | LegalVision UK","og_description":"Trusts facilitate complex transactions and relationships. We explain the difference between a commercial vs estate trust in England and Wales.","og_url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/","og_site_name":"LegalVision UK","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LegalVision","article_published_time":"2022-06-09T01:58:47+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-01T23:41:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":923,"height":692,"url":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24122211\/business-image-0522176.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kieran Ram","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@LegalVision_law","twitter_site":"@LegalVision_law","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kieran Ram","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/"},"author":{"name":"Kieran Ram","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/5a59ade89273f68f939c7cb8cc66e6f1"},"headline":"What is the Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust in England and Wales","datePublished":"2022-06-09T01:58:47+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-01T23:41:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/"},"wordCount":1176,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24122211\/business-image-0522176.jpg","keywords":["medium business","corporate trustee","commercial trust","large business","estate trust","individual trustee"],"articleSection":["Business Structuring Articles"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/","url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/","name":"Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust | LegalVision UK","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24122211\/business-image-0522176.jpg","datePublished":"2022-06-09T01:58:47+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-01T23:41:27+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/5a59ade89273f68f939c7cb8cc66e6f1"},"description":"Trusts facilitate complex transactions and relationships. We explain the difference between a commercial vs estate trust in England and Wales.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#breadcrumb"},"mainEntity":[{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#faq-question-1654739476123"},{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#faq-question-1654739488592"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24122211\/business-image-0522176.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24122211\/business-image-0522176.jpg","width":923,"height":692,"caption":"Do I Need to Follow Money Laundering Rules?"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Business Structuring Articles","item":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/category\/business-structures\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What is the Difference Between a Commercial vs Estate Trust in England and Wales"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/","name":"LegalVision UK","description":"LegalVision is a commercial law firm in the UK with a commitment to innovation","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/5a59ade89273f68f939c7cb8cc66e6f1","name":"Kieran Ram","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/04\/Kieran-2349-scaled-e1714435159620-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/04\/Kieran-2349-scaled-e1714435159620-96x96.jpg","caption":"Kieran Ram"},"description":"Kieran is a Trainee Solicitor in LegalVision\u2019s Corporate and Commercial team. He has completed a Law Degree, the Legal Practice Course and a Masters in Sports Law, specialising in Football Law.","url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/author\/kieranram\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#faq-question-1654739476123","name":"What is a corporate trustee?\u00a0","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"A corporate trustee, which the law refers to as a trust corporation, is an incorporated body, such as a company, that acts like any other trustee. It can hold property on behalf of the beneficiaries to a trust.\u00a0","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/business-structures\/commercial-vs-estate-trust\/#faq-question-1654739488592","name":"What are the requirements to be a trust corporation?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"To act as a trust corporation, a company must have a certain amount of called-up share capital and be based in the UK or another EU member state.\u00a0","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/13461"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3828"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":179852,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3828\/revisions\/179852"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/3235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}