受託者を変更する能力は、適切に起草された信託の基本的な特徴です。受託者の変更は、受託者とファミリーの関係の破綻、サービスレベルへの不満、ファミリーの財務の戦略的再構築、既存受託者の退任または行為能力喪失、または単純に別のプロバイダーへの管理統合の希望によって引き起こされることがあります。信託法2001の下、毛里求斯法は受託者の退任と選任に対して明確なメカニズムを規定しています。
Reasons for changing trustee
Dissatisfaction with service quality
Poor administration, inadequate responsiveness or failure to exercise genuine fiduciary judgment are common reasons families seek to change trustees. A professional trustee must maintain high standards; where those standards are not met, the trust deed provides the mechanism for change.
Trustee retirement
A trustee may wish to retire from the role — for example where a firm closes, merges with another or exits a particular market. In such cases, the outgoing trustee typically co-operates in a structured handover to the incoming trustee.
Strategic restructuring
A family may wish to consolidate all their trust and corporate structures with a single administration provider, or to move their structures closer to their main adviser relationships.
Jurisdictional migration
Where a trust is being migrated to Mauritius from another jurisdiction, a change of trustee to a Mauritius-licensed entity forms part of the redomiciliation process.
Removal for breach
In extreme cases, a trustee that has acted in breach of its duties may be removed by the protector or by court order. We can assist incoming trustees in managing the transition in such circumstances.
Process for changing trustee
Review trust deed
The trust deed is reviewed to identify the precise mechanism for trustee retirement and appointment: whether protector consent is required, whether beneficiary consent is needed, and what notice periods apply.
Incoming trustee due diligence
The incoming trustee completes its own KYC and due diligence on all parties. The trust file — deed, accounts, asset schedule, KYC — is requested from the outgoing trustee.
Deed of retirement and appointment
A formal Deed of Retirement and Appointment is drafted and executed. This document transfers the trustee role from the outgoing to the incoming trustee and is signed by both, and where required, by the protector.
Asset vesting
All trust assets are formally vested in the name of the incoming trustee. This may involve notifying banks, updating share registers, transferring property titles and updating records with investment managers and custodians.
File transfer and onboarding
The outgoing trustee delivers the complete trust file to the incoming trustee. The incoming trustee establishes the trust on its own administration system and issues a confirmation of acceptance to the family and their advisers.
Documents needed for trustee change
- Original trust deed and all subsequent supplemental deeds or amendments
- Most recent trust accounts and asset schedule
- KYC files for all principals — settlor, beneficiaries, protector
- Confirmation of protector's consent to the change (if required by the deed)
- Schedule of all assets and the current names in which they are held
- Contact details for all banks, custodians, investment managers and other counterparties
- Any correspondence relating to pending distributions or ongoing matters
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Deed of retirement and appointment (legal drafting) | USD 1,500 – 3,500 |
| Incoming trustee onboarding fee | USD 1,500 – 3,000 |
| Asset vesting and transfer (per asset class) | USD 500 – 2,000 |
| Ongoing annual trustee fee (post-change) | USD 5,000 – 20,000+ |