International Trusts

When a couple lives together for years as a family, it is common for one partner to appear as the “owner” on paper while the other contributes in ways that are real but undocumented: paying expenses, supporting a business, funding improvements, or sacrificing employment opportunities. If the relationship breaks down, the legal title may suggest a simple answer — but equity does not always accept it.

Cypriot case law from December 2024 onwards has raised important issues of international law, offering significant guidance on international jurisdiction, enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, and state immunity.

This article examines a recent District Court decision in which the Court was called upon to determine whether assets transferred via trust declarations during the lifetime of the deceased should be excluded from the deceased's estate for the purposes of inheritance under the Wills and Succession Law, Cap. 195. The case, successfully handled by our firm, reinforces the legal distinction between inter vivos dispositions and testamentary or intestate succession, and affirms the enforceability of properly constituted trusts under Cypriot law.

As global families and high-net-worth individuals continue to seek effective solutions for wealth structuring, asset protection, and succession planning, the Cyprus International Trust (CIT) has emerged as one of the most attractive legal vehicles in Europe. With its roots in Common Law and robust statutory protections, the CIT combines flexibility, confidentiality, and tax efficiency in a single regime tailored for cross-border use.

Discussing current updates on International Tax Planning, on the use of Trusts and the legal framework for Cyprus investments to private clients in Geneva, Switzerland.

As global families and high-net-worth individuals continue to seek effective solutions for wealth structuring, asset protection, and succession planning, the Cyprus International Trust (CIT) has emerged as one of the most attractive legal vehicles in Europe. With its roots in Common Law and robust statutory protections, the CIT combines flexibility, confidentiality, and tax efficiency in a single regime tailored for cross-border use.

Antonis Georgiou achieved a historic legal victory with the first-ever decision on the issue of trust depositing in Cyprus. The case involved the Republic's claim that it was not possible to create.