Technical article
The Extra Fees That Catch Families by Surprise
The exit fee is charged when a family moves a trust to another trustee.
Picture a family with a US$1 million trust. They compared the yearly fee of three trustees and picked the lowest. Two years later a statement arrives with lines they had not noticed on the schedule: a charge for each payout, a charge for the tax return, and a charge for a second account.
These are the extras that appear on published schedules. Each row comes from one firm's price sheet, tier C. Fees differ by firm.
| Extra | Amount | Firm and place |
|---|---|---|
| Each payout to a beneficiary | US$750 to US$1,000 | A law firm, Cook Islands trustees |
| Trust tax return | US$750 | Advisor Trust Services, United States |
| Each tax filing | At least US$2,750 | Stonehage Fleming, United States |
| Tax preparer for foreign-trust filings | US$2,000 to US$3,000 a year | A law firm, Cook Islands |
| Real estate held by the trust | 1.20% of value, or 0.60% when an outside adviser directs | Advisor Trust Services |
| Protector | At least GBP 2,200 (about US$2,900) | Stonehage Fleming, Jersey |
| Extra custody account an adviser needs | US$1,000 a year | Advisor Trust Services |
| Reporting and governance for the trust | GBP 2,120 (about US$2,750) a year | A Jersey trust company |
| Account-information exchange | GBP 305 (about US$400) per reportable person | A Jersey trust company |
| Rules and compliance | GBP 1,350 to GBP 1,800 (about US$1,750 to US$2,350) a year for each entity | Stonehage Fleming, Jersey |
| Outside review of the investments | GBP 475 to GBP 580 (about US$600 to US$750) | Two Jersey trust companies |
| Hourly work | US$200 to US$250 | Advisor Trust Services |
| Leaving the trustee | GBP 4,615 to GBP 4,913 (about US$6,000 to US$6,400) in Jersey; US$7,750 in the United States | Stonehage Fleming and a Jersey trust company |
| Closing the account | Up to 1% of assets | Advisor Trust Services |
Several of these recur. A payout fee is charged each time money goes to a beneficiary, so a trust that pays out four times a year pays it four times. That is an example, not a quote. A tax return fee comes every year the trust files. The account-information fee depends on how many people the trust reports.
Some come once. The exit fee is charged when a family moves a trust to another trustee. The closing fee is charged at the end. At US$1 million, a closing fee of 1% is US$10,000 as an example.
Others depend on what the trust holds. The real estate charge is a percentage of value, so a trust with a rental building pays it every year the building is in the trust. A trust that uses an outside adviser may need the extra custody account.
You might say: "A lawyer will tell me the real cost before I sign." That may be so. The schedules above are a place to start, and the list helps you spot a line that was left out of a quote. Costs also differ by firm, and some firms quote a minimum fee only and settle the rest case by case.
You could ask a trustee for the full schedule in writing and read it for these lines. You could also ask which of them apply to your trust in year one and which come later.
This touches family. A payout fee comes with each payment to a child or grandchild. The exit fee is worth knowing if later generations want a different trustee.
If you have read a schedule, which charge did you not expect? Share it here. Someone comparing trustees may be glad to know.
Figures are estimates for planning, based on public data. Date read: October 2026.
Sources
- Alper Law, Cook Islands annual fees page, September 2026 (C)
- BOK Financial Advisor Trust Services schedule of fees and services, January 2026 (C)
- Stonehage Fleming fiduciary fee schedules for the United States and Jersey, 2026 (C)
- EFG Trust Company Jersey fee tariff, 2024 (C)
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