You join a family through birth or marriage, and leave it through death or divorce. But if by divorce, it may not be possible to fully “leave”, and the process…
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I have a lot of empathy for Tom Brady. While not in his ‘league’ on several fronts, I can fully appreciate his exasperation at the challenges of teaching children with…
There are many consultants out there who advise non-profits on things like strategy, marketing, grant-writing, etc. The market for the philanthropic dollar follows the usual 80/20 rule: 80% of the…
There has been a lot of talk about the risks intergenerational wealth transition poses to wealth managers. As the rising generation assumes control of family wealth, they often active seek…
Q. When should I start a family office? A. It’s quite possible that you already have one! It all depends on how you define a family office. My preferred definition…
Friends and family members often turn to lawyers (and other professionals like accountants and wealth managers) they know in because they naturally trust a lawyer who is close to them…
The term ‘retirement’ evokes a certain scenario: someone spends their working life in employment, accumulating savings along the way, then ceases work (perhaps in their 60s or beyond), lives off…
Sudden change of any type is risky. When someone’s personal wealth circumstances change quickly, it can lead to all sorts of adverse and unintended consequences. Here are some examples: *…
As a tree grows, it is often helpful to prune some branches to make space for other branches to grow. As families grow generationally, “pruning” – allowing some family branches…
You might think conflict in family business is predominately around business performance. Wrong. At the core, it’s most commonly about the ‘people’ side of things: ineffective communication, and not recognising…
Q: We’re just approaching a liquidity event. How do I get my twentysomething children involved in our plans for philanthropy? A: Stop right there. You might be 10-20 years late. Many families…
Murray Bowen, pioneer of family systems theory, viewed the family unit as a complex social system where family members interact to influence each other’s behaviour. Rather than being a collection…
