Coldrick on Personal Injury Trusts
Fourth Edition
Published: 2008
Pages: 335
eBook: 9781787426948
Enabling compensated persons to understand and obtain the best deal from the means-tested benefits system through the use of personal injury trusts;
Enabling solicitors to unravel the mystique surrounding the foundation and administration of personal injury trusts and to equip them to fulfil their role better for it;
Enabling solicitors to develop compensation protection services to help protect their firms from negligence claims and to improve the bottom line; and
Enabling solicitors to do these things in as efficient and as practical a way as possible with the greatest amount of professional peace of mind.
The fourth edition has been fully updated to include:
The significant changes by the mental capacity act 2005 which came into force fully on 1st October 2007;
A revised and expanded property section with specific focus on purchasing property where there is a P I Trust in place or where the Court of Protection are involved;
2008 changes to the care rules and Employment and Support Allowance, which has replaced Incapacity Benefit for new claimants;
Plus, new and up-to-date precedents. It is vital that every lawyer doing personal injury compensation work should have a copy of this book on their shelves to enable them to give truly comprehensive advice as to the final process in achieving compensation.
Table of Contents
| Cover\r | Cover | |
|---|---|---|
| Title\r | i | |
| Copyright\r | ii | |
| Contents | iii | |
| Foreword | ix | |
| A lawyer’s tale | xi | |
| Introduction to the fourth edition | xiii | |
| The four pillars of this work | xv | |
| Acknowledgements | xvii | |
| Disclaimer | xix | |
| Copyright | xix | |
| Table of cases | xxi | |
| Table of statutes and legislation | xxiii | |
| Chapter 1: An overview of personal injury trusts | 1 | |
| Introduction | 1 | |
| Getting over the fear factor | 1 | |
| What exactly is a ‘personal injury trust’? | 2 | |
| Do all personal injury clients need advice on personal injury trusts? | 3 | |
| Does advice on personal injury trusts only need to be given to those already in receipt of means tested benefits? | 3 | |
| Do personal injury trusts have tax advantages? | 4 | |
| Do personal injury trusts help clients retain entitlement to means tested benefits? | 5 | |
| Timing: when is it ‘too late’ to found a personal injury trust? | 12 | |
| Independent financial advice and the Trustee Act 2000 (TA 2000) | 12 | |
| A summary of the financial obligations of trustees of personal injury trusts | 14 | |
| The Solicitors’ Accounts Rules 1998 and personal injury trusts | 17 | |
| Thinking long term | 17 | |
| Summary of Chapter 1 | 18 | |
| Chapter 2: Choice of personal injury trust | 21 | |
| Why is it important to consider different types of personal injury | 21 | |
| The implications of the 2006 Budget upon the choice of personal injury trust | 21 | |
| Underlying considerations behind the choice of a personal injury trust | 22 | |
| Types of personal injury trusts | 22 | |
| Original Section 89 IHTA trusts for the disabled | 28 | |
| Making a decision over the choice of trust | 29 | |
| Finance Act 2006: the implications for pre 22 March 2006 personal injury trusts and future personal injury trusts | 30 | |
| The extension of Section 89 IHTA trusts for disabled persons | 37 | |
| The capital gains tax principal private residence exemption, ordinary discretionary trusts and Section 89 and 89A trusts | 43 | |
| Summary of Chapter 2 | 44 | |
| Chapter 3: Getting technical – means-tested benefits | 45 | |
| Benefits implications of personal injury trusts | 45 | |
| Means-tested benefits | 45 | |
| Mainstream income-related means-tested benefits and awards for personal injury | 49 | |
| A word about tax credits | 54 | |
| Residents in long-term care and the receipt of personal injury awards | 55 | |
| Personal injury trusts and care provided at home | 58 | |
| Additional notes on personal injury trusts and means-tested benefits | 59 | |
| Pension credit | 60 | |
| Chapter 4: Choice of trustees | 67 | |
| Can a settlor be a trustee of his/her own personal injury trust? | 67 | |
| How many trustees should there be? | 67 | |
| Are friends and family suitable trustees? | 67 | |
| Are professional trustees appropriate? | 68 | |
| Can trustees be beneficiaries? | 68 | |
| Can a trustee live abroad? | 69 | |
| How old should a trustee be? | 69 | |
| Who should never be a trustee? | 70 | |
| When does trusteeship take effect? | 70 | |
| Summary of Chapter 4 | 70 | |
| Chapter 5: Personal injury trusts and investment | 71 | |
| Introduction | 71 | |
| Defining and meeting the investment challenge | 72 | |
| Modern Portfolio Theory and its implications for trust investment policy | 75 | |
| Building an asset class portfolio – the basics | 77 | |
| Selecting and working with a financial adviser | 84 | |
| Summary of Chapter 5 and conclusion | 86 | |
| Chapter 6: Periodical payments | 89 | |
| A brief history | 89 | |
| Why have few structured settlements been implemented in the past? | 90 | |
| The Courts Act 2003 | 91 | |
| Can periodical payments be assigned or charged? | 96 | |
| What about variable periodical payments orders? | 97 | |
| Are periodical payments treated any differently than a lump sum for benefits entitlement? | 98 | |
| The viability of periodical payments and indexation | 98 | |
| The indexation of periodical payments | 100 | |
| The indexation | 103 | |
| RPI | 103 | |
| The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 6115 | 107 | |
| Other elements | 109 | |
| The creation of a two-tiered system | 111 | |
| The advantages of periodical payments | 113 | |
| The disadvantages of periodical payments | 115 | |
| Other issues | 116 | |
| Conclusions | 117 | |
| Chapter 7: Personal injury trusts and the Court of Protection | 119 | |
| Introduction | 119 | |
| Jurisdiction | 119 | |
| The Court of Protection and personal injury trusts | 120 | |
| Why apply to found a personal injury trust for a patient? | 121 | |
| Should the deputy be retained? | 125 | |
| Worked example of an application for a personal injury bare trust | 127 | |
| Court of Protection Application form | 128 | |
| Guidance notes | 135 | |
| Court of Protection Annex A Supporting information for property and affairs applications | 141 | |
| Court of Protection Assessment of capacity | 159 | |
| Guidance notes | 169 | |
| Court of Protection Witness statement\r | 171 | |
| Chapter 8: Will-making in the context of personal injury bare trusts | 177 | |
| Executors | 177 | |
| The beneficiaries | 177 | |
| Indecisive testators | 178 | |
| ‘Letters of Wishes’ | 178 | |
| Property issues and succession | 178 | |
| Inheritance tax planning in the context of personal injury trusts | 178 | |
| Death of family members and benefits-related planning | 179 | |
| Death of carers | 179 | |
| Other potentially important matters | 180 | |
| Summary of Chapter 8 | 180 | |
| Chapter 9: Property transactions and personal injury trusts | 181 | |
| The natural link between personal injury trust work and property transactions | 181 | |
| What are the advantages of the trust framework for a purchase? | 181 | |
| Practical issues to consider on a purchase | 182 | |
| Legal issues to consider on a purchase prior to exchange of contracts | 182 | |
| Legal issues on a purchase post completion | 183 | |
| What are the relevant tax-related issues for personal injury trusts and property transactions? | 183 | |
| Worked examples of property transactions and personal injury trusts | 184 | |
| Chapter 10: Personal injury trusts – some problem areas | 189 | |
| Fatalities cases | 189 | |
| Professional negligence compensation | 190 | |
| Other types of compensation | 190 | |
| Past care awards | 191 | |
| Divorce | 192 | |
| Disagreement among the trustees | 193 | |
| Can the defendant reduce the award if a personal injury trust is contemplated? | 193 | |
| The implications for litigators | 197 | |
| The choice and use of powers comprised in a personal injury trust | 199 | |
| Chapter 11: General precedents | 203 | |
| Precedent covering letter and guide for clients | 203 | |
| Precedent Pro Forma Instructions | 215 | |
| Precedent Guidance for Beneficiaries and Trustees | 220 | |
| Precedent Guide on Compensation Protection Trusts for Benefit Paying Agencies Including the Local Authority | 228 | |
| Precedent Resolution to Distribute | 234 | |
| Chapter 12: Drafting personal injury trusts | 237 | |
| The fundamental responsibilities of the draftsman in using these personal injury trust precedents | 237 | |
| The style of the following personal injury trust precedents | 238 | |
| Who may legally draft a personal injury trust? | 238 | |
| Common factors contained within the personal injury trust precedents | 239 | |
| Uncommon factors contained within the personal injury trust precedents | 241 | |
| Precedent for a Personal Injury Discretionary Settlement: Notes | 244 | |
| Precedent for a Personal Injury Flexible Life Interest Settlement: Notes | 250 | |
| Precedent: Personal Injury Bare Trust: Notes | 257 | |
| Precedent for a Personal Injury Bare Trust: Mentally Capable Adult | 258 | |
| Precedent for a Personal Injury Bare Trust: Court Order for a Minor under rule 21.11 of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 | 265 | |
| Precedent for a Personal Injury Bare Trust: Court of Protection for a Mentally Incapable Beneficiary | 270 | |
| Precedent for a Personal Injury Life Interest Settlement: Court of Protection for a Mentally Incapable Beneficiary | 276 | |
| Precedents for Personal Injury Section 89 IHTA 1984 Trusts for the Disabled: Notes | 281 | |
| Precedent for a Personal Injury Section 89 IHTA 1984 Trust for the Disabled: Wide Form | 283 | |
| Precedent for a Personal Injury Section 89 IHTA 1984 Trust for the Disabled: Narrow Form for a Mentally Incapable Person | 289 | |
| Examples of the Type of Further Provisions the Draftsman May Also Choose to Incorporate | 294 | |
| Appendix 1: The Standard Provisions of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (1st Edition) | 297 | |
| Appendix 2: Paying family carers: income tax and national insurance issues | 303 | |
| Appendix 3: A practitioner’s guide to Court of Protection property procedures | 313 | |
| Index | 325 |
Anyone who buys this edition has no excuse for failing to understand what to do and how to protect his/her clients. It is a valuable addition to the armoury of any personal injury lawyer who is seeking to maximise the damages for his/her clients. It should be one of the growing number of essential books, necessary to have on one's bookshelf.
Robin de Wilde, QC
David Coldrick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-coldrick-971624b/
Lynne Bradey
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynne-bradey-bbb83b20/