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Membership of ACTAPS

Full Membership

Full membership of ACTAPS is open to barristers, solicitors, legal executives and equivalent non-England and Wales practitioners who are specialists in the field of contentious trusts and probate. Specialisation may be demonstrated in three ways:

ACTAPS Course

By completion of the ACTAPS course through the University of Law, combined with two years’ practice with contentious trusts and probate forming more than 50% of the workload;

5 Year's Experience

Five years’ practice with contentious trusts and probate forming more than 50% of the workload

10 Year's Practice

Ten years’ practice with contentious trusts and probate forming more than 25% of the workload

The years in practice are years up to the date of the application for membership.

Periods of parental leave within those years are not deducted from years in practice. Thus, for example, someone who applies in 2026 will be eligible for full membership if their workload has been more than 50% CTP since 2021, even if 2023 was spent on parental leave.

Non-fee-earning activity, such as management or training responsibility, is not counted in the calculation of workload. Thus, for example, someone who spends 40% of their time on CTP, 40% of their time on other work and 20% of their time on management responsibilities meets the 50% requirement.

You can apply for membership by completing an application form, giving details of your experience and recent cases. There is a £150 joining fee, and annual membership is £150 per year.

Associate Membership of ACTAPS

Associate membership of ACTAPS is open to barristers, solicitors, legal executives and equivalent non-England and Wales practitioners who have completed the ACTAPS course and are building their experience.

Associate membership is intended to be a path to full membership, for those who have not yet completed two years with contentious trusts and probate forming more than 50% of their workload. The required two years’ experience can be completed during the course.

There is no application form to join as an associate member. Please email membership@actaps.com with your name, firm, contact details and course completion date.

Student Membership of ACTAPS

Student membership of ACTAPS is open to current students on the ACTAPS course. Student members are enrolled automatically.

Honorary Members

We are pleased to welcome members of the judiciary and other non-practitioners who make significant contributions to our field as honorary members of ACTAPS.

Parental Leave

Membership may be suspended during a period of parental leave and reactivated on return to work.