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Bernadette Carey

Bernadette is the head of our Cayman Islands trusts and private wealth team and has a broad private client practice advising on wealth structuring and estate planning matters, including the administration, restructuring, and termination of trusts, as well as probate and testamentary issues. She also has significant experience in trust litigation, regularly appearing before the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands on multi-party non-contentious applications and contentious trust disputes, as well as in respect of estate litigation and other cross-border private client disputes. Bernadette regularly advises high net worth individuals, trustees, beneficiaries, family offices, executors, wealth managers, institutional clients, and onshore legal teams on all aspects of trusts and estates law in the Cayman Islands. She is an elected member of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law (TIAETL), where membership to the global body is by invitation only and is highly selective. All members must have practiced law in the Academy's areas of interest for at least ten years and must have distinguished themselves through lecturing, writing or participation in professional organizations. They must also have demonstrated a significant interest in the continuing development of the law of their own countries. She is also an International Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel, and a long-standing Council Member of the Cayman Islands branch of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners. Bernadette is the author of the Cayman Islands chapters of numerous private client texts, including "International Estate Planning: A Reference Guide" and "Trusts in Prime Jurisdictions". Bernadette is an elected member of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law (TIAETL), where membership to the global body is by invitation only. She is also an International Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC), and a long-standing Council Member of the Cayman Islands branch of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP). She is a director of the Cayman Islands Family Office Association, launched in 2022. Bernadette is the author of the Cayman Islands chapters of numerous private client text books, including "International Estate Planning: A Reference Guide" and "Trusts in Prime Jurisdictions". She is also ranked highly by both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners High Net Worth, features in the 2025 Private Client Global Elite Directory, and was named Top Recommended in the Trusts, Structuring & Offshore category of the 2025 Spear's 500 rankings. · Carey Olsen

Cayman IslandsTrusts & Private Wealth, Private Client

About

Head of Carey Olsen's Cayman Islands trusts and private wealth team, Bernadette Carey advises on wealth structuring and estate planning, including administration, restructuring and termination of trusts, probate and testamentary matters, and regularly appears in trust litigation before the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. She advises high-net-worth individuals, trustees, beneficiaries, family offices, executors, wealth managers and onshore legal teams; she is an elected member of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law, an International Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC), a long-standing Council Member of STEP (Cayman Islands) and a director of the Cayman Islands Family Office Association, and is author of Cayman Islands chapters of several private client texts and ranked in Legal 500, Chambers and related directories.

Practice areas

Trusts & Private WealthPrivate ClientDispute Resolution & LitigationFamily OfficeRegulatoryRelocation ServicesEstate Planning

Office

Cayman Islands

Carey Olsen · Bernadette is the head of our Cayman Islands trusts and private wealth team and has a broad private client practice advising on wealth structuring and estate planning matters, including the administration, restructuring, and termination of trusts, as well as probate and testamentary issues. She also has significant experience in trust litigation, regularly appearing before the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands on multi-party non-contentious applications and contentious trust disputes, as well as in respect of estate litigation and other cross-border private client disputes. Bernadette regularly advises high net worth individuals, trustees, beneficiaries, family offices, executors, wealth managers, institutional clients, and onshore legal teams on all aspects of trusts and estates law in the Cayman Islands. She is an elected member of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law (TIAETL), where membership to the global body is by invitation only and is highly selective. All members must have practiced law in the Academy's areas of interest for at least ten years and must have distinguished themselves through lecturing, writing or participation in professional organizations. They must also have demonstrated a significant interest in the continuing development of the law of their own countries. She is also an International Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel, and a long-standing Council Member of the Cayman Islands branch of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners. Bernadette is the author of the Cayman Islands chapters of numerous private client texts, including "International Estate Planning: A Reference Guide" and "Trusts in Prime Jurisdictions". Bernadette is an elected member of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law (TIAETL), where membership to the global body is by invitation only. She is also an International Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC), and a long-standing Council Member of the Cayman Islands branch of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP). She is a director of the Cayman Islands Family Office Association, launched in 2022. Bernadette is the author of the Cayman Islands chapters of numerous private client text books, including "International Estate Planning: A Reference Guide" and "Trusts in Prime Jurisdictions". She is also ranked highly by both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners High Net Worth, features in the 2025 Private Client Global Elite Directory, and was named Top Recommended in the Trusts, Structuring & Offshore category of the 2025 Spear's 500 rankings.

Cayman Islands

Expertise

Trust LitigationWealth StructuringEstate PlanningCross-Border Private Client DisputesHigh Net Worth IndividualsFamily Offices

Admissions

  • New Zealand — Barrister and Solicitor (2002)
  • Australia — Barrister and Solicitor (2005)
  • Cayman Islands — Attorney-at-Law (2008)