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While each family office has its own unique makeup and course to success, there are many recurring themes over the years which, when aggregated, form something of a roadmap which can be used to help guide other families on their own unique journeys—be they new to wealth or several generations deep. Against that backdrop, this eBook brings collective insights and experiences around family enterprise governance structures that will help families manage their family wealth across generations.

Talking about wealth is every bit as important as creating a technical wealth plan—if not more so. Preparing a wealth transfer plan for your assets “on paper,” but failing to help your loved ones understand how to manage those assets in their lives, leaves the true process of sharing wealth incomplete and subject to real, but avoidable, risks. When it comes to family money and wealth, it is important to understand the variety of styles families may employ to encourage proactive, healthy, and informative family discussions.

At some point, most families ask if they should have a family meeting, recognizing the importance of providing a forum for sharing news, concerns, opportunities, and challenges in an open and direct way. Family meetings are often seen as a great place to learn, whether the topic is investments, business, legal matters, or the family itself. Furthermore, the interplay of generations is a great way to model and develop family leadership and help nurture the family legacy.

One of the greatest concerns among wealthy parents is that the family’s great fortune might inadvertently lead to misfortune for their children. Raising responsible children in affluence is a life-long task requiring patience and persistence. Like learning to read, financial literacy is a process that is best started in early childhood. Teachable moments, alongside practical ways to teach children about wealth, are the beginning of financially responsible parenting.

Wealth transfer to younger generations is one of the biggest concerns for families today. Many families feel that the younger generations aren’t ready to handle the wealth they’ll receive; in fact, only one-third of wealthy parents have fully disclosed their wealth to their children. The perceived unpreparedness, along with a concern for privacy and wealth preservation or asset protection, are some of the key non-tax reasons that many families establish trusts.

A 678 Trust is a unique vehicle that (i) eliminates estate tax on trust assets, (ii) protects trust assets from creditors, (iii) allows the client to stay in control of the assets, (iv) allows the client to direct where the assets pass at death, and (v) has multi-generational “dynasty” benefits—protecting heirs from creditors, divorce, and estate tax when the heirs die.

Estate planning and wealth management involve the founder’s goals, family and assets. Unresolved substance use disorders (SUDs) will undermine the best plans and intent in all three areas. However, trustees and attorneys frequently overlook clients engaging in addictive behavior because they are unaware of the symptoms of the disease, don’t know what to do or don’t believe it’s their role to become involved.