Steering the ship: Navigating the seas of semi-contentious trust applications without capsizing into hostile litigation

As the complexity of families and their wealth structures increases, so too does the use of semi contentious trust applications for remedies such as blessings, variations, construction declarations, rectification and rescission - tools used to “right” trusts that have gone wrong. Yet these applications can easily tip into hostile litigation if mismanaged.

This session follows an archetypal case where tensions between trustees, beneficiaries and other stakeholders are close to boiling over, offering practical insight into how advisers can steer such matters back into calmer waters.

The session uses a dynamic, scene based format rather than a traditional panel discussion, giving you an inside view of semi contentious trust work:

o Three short “conference snapshots” recreate real life conversations between trustees, beneficiaries and their lawyers, showing how interests diverge and how cases risk sliding into hostility.

o Each lawyer–client scene incorporates practical advice and recent case law to show how professionals approach these issues in practice.

o A chair pauses after each scene to unpack what happened, highlight alignment and tension points, and invite audience reflections.

Why Attend

o Experience a unique, scene based format that brings complex trust issues to life

o Learn how to manage semi contentious applications before they escalate

o Understand stakeholder pressures through realistic lawyer–client interactions