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At some point on your family journey and through the key life stages, you may take a step back and realize the wealth and legacy you’ve created are going to live on for generations. As you begin to reflect, you can look to the legacy and estate planning guide in this Digest as a starting point. You’ll also find helpful checklists, thoughtful questi...

In this interview, attorney John Litchfield of Foley & Lardner’s Labor & Employment group discusses the key considerations family offices should keep in mind when it comes to domestic workers in the family office environment. Along with insights on household staff salary and wage treatments in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (F...

Employing service providers in your home carries considerable risk. If not handled with extreme care, the process of hiring, termination, and managing day-to-day responsibilities can create liability—and even result in claims of discrimination and retaliation by the employee. This report provides a snapshot of an increasingly complex employment lan...

Taking on the role of a direct household employer can be complicated—even for households with a single employee. This guide includes best practices for navigating the complex environment of household employment and provides practical advice on how to avoid the legal, financial, and reputational consequences associated with non-compliant employment.

Historically, beneficiaries learned of wealth transfer plans only after the death of the grantor. However, this approach often leads to unanswered questions and, potentially, feelings of betrayal when expectations for future gifts are left unmet. There are several planning tools, including a Statement of Wealth Transfer (SOWTI), that can facilitate...

Slowing population growth is a global phenomenon. From this research report, learn how to establish a framework by which to understand the dynamics between demographics and economics, along with the likely effect on economic growth and financial markets in the coming decades.

The family enterprise provides a strategic framework for families to stay together and accomplish the shared goals of growing wealth and managing risks through the generations. Within the enterprise, the Private Trust Company (the PTC) provides a beneficial mechanism to support the enterprise and the family’s growth and development. In addition to ...

We’ll examine how to successfully navigate the challenges that arise with the aging and cognitive decline of a family member and/or board member from the perspective of the family office. Aging experts emphasize several strategies for identifying cognitive impairment and ensuring early detection, along with resources and approaches for handling the...

For family offices, providing the highest level of service to their family clients includes ensuring the staff in their homes are not only skilled and qualified, but also trustworthy and ethical. However, the vetting process at every level—from housekeepers to directors of residence—has become more challenging as more applicants misrepresent themse...

Hiring domestic staff such as nannies, personal assistants, and housekeepers can expose you to liability issues and danger from unscrupulous employees. It is important to understand your areas of vulnerability and take steps to protect your family and your finances. Whether you hire your own employees or the family office hires them, three often ov...

Families often find it challenging to talk about long-term plans and wishes of their aging parents. But it’s never a good idea to wait until there’s a crisis to rally family members together on a plan that will address mom or dad’s needs and wishes regarding healthcare, living arrangements, and long-term financial care. Knowing how to get the conve...

Your household employees are necessary and helpful, but they present a risk, be it from accidents, reckless behavior, or bad intentions. While there is no way to minimize the concerns entirely, establishing clear communication, crisp policies, and appropriate checks and balances can prevent, or at least decrease most issues. We’ve created a checkli...

The complex, convergent nature of risks facing high-net-worth families requires family offices to adopt both a holistic and strategic approach to risk management than many have in the past. The ones who can make the change will be best positioned to successfully navigate the challenges that range from overarching trends of growing families to incre...

We have all been the new person at some point or another—the new person on the block, the freshman at the big university, a manager in a new office. In such hard-to-navigate situations, training and communications are integral parts of the on-boarding process. When both employee and employer are informed about one another’s needs, personalities, an...

While many individuals may have the skills and experience for a private staffing position, it’s the chemistry and having a system in place that makes it work for all parties. With this guide that includes job descriptions and requirements, discover the actionable insights and best practices for optimizing your private staff throughout the hiring pr...