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The death of a matriarch. The sale of a family business. Big events can throw a financial family into flux. Tough transitions can be managed smoothly, however. Three industry experts gave practical advice on transitions to an audience of about 300 family members and office executives at the FOX Fall Forum, held in October at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago.

Family governance is an evolutionary process. As a family grows and members of the family age, they follow a series of stages with each stage being very different. This process can create difficult transitions, especially since typically two or more generations are active in membership at the same time. It is very helpful to have an awareness of the various stages and challenges each will bring.

With the world changing so quickly, the role of the family as a bulwark of stability and support becomes increasingly important. In response to this growing educational need, Family Office Exchange in 1998 formed the FOX Foundation. Operating as the Family Learning Center, the Foundation will serve as a resource to facilitate all aspects of "family learning."

Though the challenges to successful wealth transfer across generations may seem overwhelming, they can be overcome. Within the framework of open and honest communication and education, preparing the next generation for life with wealth can increase the probability that the wealth sustains, grows, and benefits many future generations. Along with five key principles to raising responsible owners of wealth, it paves a path where heirs are much better prepared for their inheritance as they become productive, contributing owners of wealth.

In a perfect world, parents would have a well-thought-out plan for wealth transfer, explain their intentions, and help their heirs learn their roles and responsibilities. But life doesn’t always unfold in an orderly way to provide such a roadmap. Sometimes, inheritors may need to step in to play a more active role so they can empower themselves with the knowledge and tools necessary to make the best decisions for themselves and their family’s legacy.

Most of the time when families gather, the focus is purely social—reconnecting, reminiscing, and “rest and relaxation” as a group. Occasionally, family members may also gather for limited financial management tasks, such as settling a loved one’s estate, or planning for how to manage shared assets such as land or a family vacation home. These family get-togethers are important to families no matter what their financial circumstances. For families with wealth, though, the need to connect can go beyond the social aspects.

Thomas Calandra, who is in his mid-twenties, is the owner of Calandra Enterprises. At least that’s how he introduces himself to customers and clients of the bakeries, hotels, and restaurants he runs with his sister, father, uncle, and grandfather. Thomas credits his family business’s success to his grandfather’s hard work, determination, and artistry. He and his sister vow not to be like other family-owned businesses that rise in the hands of the elders and crumble in the hands of the grandchildren.

Most family businesses take on the characteristics of their founder or founding family, especially in their formative years. This changes as the company grows and the founder begins to transition ownership and control to future generations. To guide the business succession transition forward on a successful path, there needs to be a family governance plan to establish a framework for joint decision-making among family members based on shared values, a common mission or purpose, and a collective vision for the family’s future.

Wealth coaching is essentially the study of one’s relationship with money and wealth. We all have a relationship with money, and through money messages that we learned at an early age, this relationship guides the majority of behaviors throughout our lives. Individuals and families who engage wealth coaches can benefit enormously across a broad spectrum of topics and issues as they participate in difficult conversations, learn about family systems, and devise governance strategies.

Managing family wealth over the long-term requires careful thought and a well-structured estate plan. Before making specific decisions about what’s best for your wealth, it’s wise to spend time considering what it is you really want to see happen with it. There are steps you can take—including considering trust options—to help create a legacy plan that both reflects your values and incorporates tax-efficient ways to transfer your assets.