STEP Members come from the legal, accountancy, corporate trust, banking, insurance and related professions, and are involved at all levels in the planning, creation and management of, and accounting for, trusts and estates, executorship, administration and related taxes. Full Members of STEP are by definition the most experienced and senior practitioners in the field of trusts and estates.

STEP was founded with the aim of bringing together all the practitioners in the field and cutting across old established professional boundaries. Through meetings, seminars, lectures, national and international conferences and the exchange of technical papers and reports, Members share information, knowledge and experience, and benefit from the network of contacts that membership provides.

Membership of STEP is obtainable only by examination or other test of professional competence, for information on membership routes click here.

STEP History
STEP was founded in 1991 to meet the recognised need for a medium by which trust and estate practitioners could readily communicate with each other and at the same time be identified as senior practitioners, highly qualified to provide advice in this specialised field. The clear need for such a body is reflected in the steadily growing membership and expanding number of jurisdictions covered.

The key to STEP's success lies in its network of branches. All STEP members belong to a branch or chapter that provides professional development and opportunities to meet with other practitioners in their region. We have over 100 branches and chapters across the world. All branches are run by voluntary committees and are responsible for their own educational and social activities. Many branches now organise annual conferences and seminars.
The creation of STEP produced a highly specialised and successful professional body, and its rapid expansion of branches worldwide is a clear indication of a young, forward-thinking international society.

STEP Key dates

• 1991 Foundation of STEP Worldwide in UK
• 1992 Foundation of the first international branch in Geneva
• 1993 Foundation of 'Swiss German and Liechtenstein Branch of STEP' (Zurich and Vaduz Centre)
• 2001 Foundation of Basel Branch
• 2006 Foundation of Lugano Centre
• 2008 Foundation of Verein STEP (replaces the 'Swiss German and Liechtenstein Branch of STEP')
       includes: Zurich Centre, Vaduz Centre, Lugano Centre
• 2009 Foundation of Lucerne/Zug Centre (new Centre of Verein STEP)
• 2010 Foundation of Lausanne
• 2016 Foundation of Swiss and Liechtenstein STEP Federation SLSF

 

Organisational chart