Step Journal

In the first issue of the STEP Journal for 2026, our focus is on vulnerable clients and modern families, with articles on proposed reforms to financial remedies on divorce in England and Wales, proactive approaches to anticipating incapacity and the practical challenges of acting for those who have lost capacity. 

Our UK regional focus covers inheritance tax reform, survivorship destination risks in Scotland, dormant assets, charity trustee investment strategies, climate risk and fiduciary duties and the growing role of arbitration in trust disputes. Our contributors examine emerging professional risks, including the implications of AI personhood and the increasing regulatory burden on trustees driven by transparency and beneficial ownership requirements. 

Elsewhere, this issue looks at Chinese approaches to succession and wealth planning and the application of the US–Canada estate tax treaty for Canadian residents. We also feature our Expert Forum on responsible stewardship of wealth, as well as commentary on global tax initiatives, the role of art in philanthropy, the modernisation of fiduciary duty in Bermuda and the impact of AI on the next generation of private clients and advisors.

Finally, we are delighted to reintroduce our student column for 2026, aimed at those studying for STEP qualifications, reinforcing STEP’s ongoing commitment to education at every stage of a practitioner’s career.

Read the foreword from Simon Rylatt TEP, member of the STEP Journal Editorial Board.

View the table of contents