Marital blessings: what's yours is ours—Chinese marital property and offshore trusts
Richard Grasby, Partner in Appleby’s Private Client & Trusts team in Hong Kong, has published an article “Marital blessings: what’s yours is ours—Chinese marital property and offshore trusts” in Trusts & Trustees, Oxford University Press’s leading journal on trust law and practice.
In the article, Richard examines how China’s marital property regime interacts with offshore trust structures where trust assets comprise marital property.
The article considers the position of spouses when marital property is settled into an offshore trust, including the role and effect of spousal consent and the circumstances in which a transfer may be challenged. It also explores the practical implications for trustees and advisers, including the impact of offshore trust firewall legislation and the potential risks arising where community property issues are not properly addressed.
As Chinese private wealth becomes increasingly international, the article highlights the importance of understanding marital property rights when establishing and administering offshore trust structures.
The article was published in Trusts & Trustees on 21 September 2026 and is available through Oxford University Press.
