An Argyle Child Maintenance Trust

"It is estimated that by the year 2005 in excess of 60,000 Australian children under the age of 18 years will be involved in the breakdown of their parents marriage?".

Child support obligations following the breakdown of a relationship can create significant personal and financial burden.

A child maintenance trust can assist you to satisfy your child maintenance obligations in the most tax effective manner possible, offering tax advantages to both the payers and to the recipients.

The trust enables effective income splitting to the beneficiaries without attracting penalties which apply other than where income is received by minor beneficiaries of a child maintenance trust.

In addition because payments are effectively made from pre-tax dollars, the payer’s “after child maintenance” income position may be significantly improved.

Key features of the Argyle Partnership’s Child Maintenance Trust are:

·	compliance with prevailing tax laws;
·	tailoring to ensure consistency with child support obligations;
·	assurance that maximum after tax funds are available to benefit the supported children.

The Argyle Partnership offers a comprehensive Family Law Service with experience accredited Family Law Specialists working closely with our tax and trust experts to help you achieve the most efficient outcome possible.

·	flexibility of income distribution among beneficiaries;
·	distribution of different classes of income to different beneficiaries;
·	availability of 50% capital gains tax concession where gains are distributed to natural persons;
·	potential for application of capital gains tax small business concessions;
·	capacity for flexible, tax effective loans to be made to beneficiaries.

The key features of the Argyle Partnership’s Discretionary Trust Deed are:

·	flexibility to achieve wealth distribution and estate planning objectives;
·	tailoring of trustee powers and discretions from broad to narrow;
·	simple control and administration;
·	supporting documentation including all relevant minutes, explanatory summaries and legal analysis;
·	efficient trustee protections;
·	complementary expertise of staff in tax law, stamp duty, bankruptcy, asset protection, trust law and estate planning.

Argyle Lawyers Pty Ltd offers an exceptional discretionary trust service, including the establishment of trusts, amendment of existing trusts, trust deed reviews and tax effective structuring and planning advice.

If you would like further information click here to e-mail our Tax and Superannuation Team.