Family Office

A professionally run Family Office can help to protect and grow a family’s wealth and preserve the legacy for future generations. As part of the Knox group of companies, our regulated corporate service provider can offer a Family Office that is committed to understanding the client’s unique situation and specific needs.

 

Working with the client and their existing advisers, the family office will assist with the family’s goals, objectives and financial situation, addressing and managing the client’s personal affairs across a broad spectrum of requirements.

They will provide a single interface between the family and all its affairs. Their activities will encompass supervising and managing the family’s assets including yachts, aircraft, cars, real estate, watches and art collections. They will also oversee arrangements relating to financial and property investments, liaise on legal affairs, manage tax compliance and identify and assist the client to achieve their family’s objectives in a professional and effective manner. In all matters, the family office will ensure that the family’s financial, personal and philanthropic objectives are actioned within strict protocols, reflecting the needs, aspirations and concerns of family members.

Family Governance

Families are living, breathing and evolving ecosystems, deeply rooted in values, traditions and customs, all meeting at the junction of reason and emotion. As a collection of unique and complex characters, each family member has their own wishes and objectives that may sometimes misalign with THOSE OF THEIR relatives. Although they may share a bloodline, family members may not share the same aspirations.

 

Family governance is a constantly evolving process encapsulating a family’s values to transcend generations, in addition to educating and facilitating communication between family members. It also provides a forum for constructive discussion, problem solving and decisions about the family as it relates to the family business, in addition to the way the business relates to the family. You may know your business inside out, but family dynamics are a completely different matter and understanding what part they play in the succession planning for the business is vital for a prosperous future.

Our starting point is to work collaboratively with the client and their existing advisers to build a foundation that works for the entire family, while being conducive to the assimilation and convergence of different goals into one; preservation of the family’s wealth and the creation of a legacy. Whether a large multigenerational family or a small family unit, by combining planning, flexibility and communication, asset protection and wealth preservation can be achieved and the family office and advisers will be able to act as a sounding board.  It is a collaborative approach.

The Knox Private Office Approach

To us, the key is to understand the family dynamics and create long-lasting relationships. Our approach involves working closely with you towards achieving your long-term goals, whilst obtaining family buy-in. Although we are always flexible and happy to accommodate different views, based on our collective experience of assisting families with their governance needs, we would typically go through the following steps:

Hold an initial meeting with the preferred member(s) of the family to agree themes, which will form basis for discussion and understanding of the key issues of concern for the family and the business at present and in the future. This step is relevant for both young entrepreneurs and multigenerational families. It is never too early to plan

Speak with smaller groups or individual family members (depending on dynamics) to allow others to input their views and voice concerns in a confidential forum

Depending on complexity, review themes and discuss implementation options – focus on any areas that may not have been considered. Highlight options for creating a suitable framework with the main themes for the family. If required, hold ‘family retreat’ with different groups to further drill into matters of importance or concern

Work closely with the family’s existing advisers to ensure their perspectives and knowledge of the family are factored into the process. To find out how we can help you and your family protect your long-term legacy please contact us to arrange an initial meeting.

Family Office Audit

In our experience, there are many instances where a Family Office client may benefit from a review for a number of reasons:

 

        • The Family Office is considering moving its head office or setting one up in a new jurisdiction
        • The Family Office has received inappropriate advice from a third party and needs to resolve latent issues
        • Key personnel have left and the principal requires specific guidance
        • The Family Office principal would simply like a review to ensure that everything is running smoothly
        • Implementing strategic tax planning across jurisdictions and asset classes
        • Providing peace of mind and ensuring compliance with tax obligations

         

        We would always agree the remit of any Family Office Audit with the client first. Given our experience of working in, and running, family offices we would be able to review the functionality of the family office against the objectives of the principal.

Family Audit Services

Our audit would typically cover the following

  • Review of tax structuring & compliance
  • Review of equity/debt portfolios against risk appetite
  • Personnel review
  • Review/valuations of luxury assets
  • Review of trading businesses owned

We would initially wish to conduct the Audit with an onsite visit and receive the brief in a face to face meeting with the family office principal and/or client. At the conclusion of the audit we will provide the family office principal and/or client with a detailed report of our findings together with a number of recommendations to ensure a more efficient and appropriate outcome for the principal.

Concierge Services

The longevity of working with discerning clients and the breadth and depth of our in-house resources, has provided us with the opportunity to build up an international network of contacts, This, together with our experience of knowing how to work to exacting requirements, enables Knox Private Office to offer a wide and varied range of concierge services to support our clients.

 

  • The Knox Private Office team can work with clients on either a retained or one-off basis, helping to resolve the day to day or the more unusual one-off issues that may arise using our contacts discreetly and effectively. Our Teamwork with individuals based overseas with UK interests, individuals moving to the UK and those already in the UK assisting in all aspects of their work and personal life. A client’s problem is a challenge for us to resolve. The aim of our Concierge Service is to make life a little easier and even more enjoyable.

KNOX PRIVATE OFFICE

Trusted Advisers. Collective Experience. Bespoke Solutions.