Trust services

Pharmacy trust (discretionary).

Pharmacy ownership in Victoria is restricted to registered pharmacists and a limited set of pharmacist-controlled structures. A standard family trust deed will not satisfy the Victorian Pharmacy Authority, the deed has to be drafted for the regime.

Lawyer prepared

Deeds drafted and settled by a lawyer, not a form generator.

Fast turnaround

Standard deeds prepared within one business day of instructions.

Fixed fee, quoted first

Fixed fee quoted first, with any duty payable set out up front.

Compliant documents

Trustee Act, Duties Act and ATO practice considered on every deed.

What makes a pharmacy trust different.

The deed limits the beneficiary class and control so that only pharmacists, and permitted relatives within the statutory limits, can benefit and direct the trustee. Trustee, appointor and distribution clauses are all constrained accordingly.

We prepare the deed, the corporate trustee where required, and the supporting documents the Authority expects to see with an approval application.

Approval turns on the deed's wording, not on intention. Using a generic family trust and hoping it passes is the most common reason applications are knocked back.

Why it pays to have this done properly.

Drafted to the pharmacy regime

Beneficiary and control clauses drawn to satisfy Victorian pharmacy ownership requirements.

Flexibility where it is permitted

Distribution discretion is preserved to the extent the legislation allows, so tax planning is not sacrificed unnecessarily.

Application-ready documents

Deed, trustee constitution and structure diagram prepared in the form the Authority expects.

Is this you?.

  • You are buying your first pharmacy
  • You are restructuring an existing pharmacy holding
  • The Authority has queried your current trust deed
  • You are bringing a pharmacist partner into the business

If any of these sound familiar, a short conversation will tell you whether this is the right document, and what it costs, before you commit.

How it works.

  1. 01

    Tell us what you need

    Start online or call us. We take short instructions, names, roles, structure and timing, and confirm this is the right document for what you are actually trying to achieve.

  2. 02

    We check the detail

    We confirm eligibility, consents, existing documents and any tax or duty consequence before drafting, so nothing is discovered after lodgement.

  3. 03

    We prepare and lodge

    We draft the pharmacy trust deed and establishment pack, send it for signing with clear instructions on who signs what and when, and attend to any ASIC, State Revenue Office or ATO lodgement.

  4. 04

    You get a complete file

    You receive executed documents, registers and confirmations in a single organised pack, plus a short note on what to keep and what happens next.

Fees.

Fixed fee for the deed and establishment documents. Approval application support, trustee company registration and duty are quoted or itemised separately.

Request a fixed-fee quote

FAQs

Frequently asked questions.

Still unsure? Call us on (03) 9008 7224 and speak to a lawyer, not a call centre.

Can a non-pharmacist be a beneficiary?
Only within the limits the legislation allows for specified relatives. The deed must be drafted to exclude anyone outside that class.
Do I need a corporate trustee?
Not always, but a pharmacist-controlled corporate trustee is usually cleaner for approvals, banking and succession.
Can I convert my existing family trust?
Sometimes, by variation, but the change must not amount to a resettlement. We review the deed first.

Ready to get started with pharmacy trust (discretionary)?.

Start online or book a consultation with a CMK Legal commercial lawyer in Richmond, Melbourne.