The Three Certainties: Trust Law Definition

The three requirements that must be satisfied for a valid express trust: (1) Certainty of Intention - clear intention to create a trust, not a gift or contract; (2) Certainty of Subject Matter - the trust property must be clearly identified and segregated; (3) Certainty of Objects - the beneficiaries must be identifiable or the class clearly defined. If any certainty is absent, the trust fails.

This definition is part of the Equity Steward Trust Law Glossary — a plain English reference for UK families and trustees.