Family office & wealth structures
Wealth and tax planning within a family office often only marginally addresses risks related to matrimonial property law and inheritance law—yet a single separation or divorce can significantly disrupt structures that have been built up over generations. We handle the family law aspects within your family office: we coordinate prenuptial agreements, succession plans, trusts, foundations and holding structures with asset managers, tax advisors, and trustees, and structure them in such a way that they remain stable even in the event of a separation. For international assets, we also coordinate the applicable legal systems through our network of partners. Utmost discretion will be a fundamental principle throughout our collaboration.
Family offices typically coordinate asset management, tax planning, and succession planning—but issues related to matrimonial property law are often overlooked until a separation or divorce actually occurs. It then often becomes apparent that investments, trusts, or real estate are not protected under matrimonial property law, and a single family branch is unexpectedly drawn into a dispute. We review existing structures early on for these risks and bridge the gap between wealth planning and family law.
We see ourselves as family law specialists within your existing network of advisors, not as a replacement for it. Our vision:
Coordination rather than duplication—we closely coordinate our advice on matrimonial and estate planning with asset managers, tax advisors, and trustees, rather than providing advice in parallel and in isolation.
Involvement in structural decisions – when establishing or amending trust deeds, foundation protocols, or holding set-ups, we assess the family law implications before the structure is implemented.
Linking prenuptial agreements and succession planning – we draft combined prenuptial and inheritance agreements that address both matrimonial property and estate planning objectives.
Point of contact for family events – Marriage, legal separation proceedings, divorce, the birth of a child, incapacity or death of a family member or generational transitions have a direct impact on existing structures; we adapt them accordingly.
Trusts—particularly for internationally held assets—to separate them from the personal assets of individual family members.
Foundations—for the long-term, cross-generational preservation of assets outside the scope of matrimonial property division.
Holding structures – to clearly separate business and private assets within the family.
Combined marriage and inheritance agreements—to coordinate the allocation of marital property and succession under inheritance law.
We assess on a case-by-case basis which structure best suits the family’s circumstances and property law situation, and highlight the interplay between these instruments.
INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION
Families with multi-generational or internationally located assets require a structure that is legally sound across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. We clarify the applicable property and inheritance laws, align the choice of law with the existing structure, and work closely with our international network of partners in more than 80 countries.
DISCREETION AS A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE
Family wealth and family circumstances are among the most sensitive issues for our clients. We treat all information within the family office partnership with the same level of confidentiality as we do in direct client management, and we closely coordinate external communications with you and your advisory team.
A family office coordinates a family’s asset management, tax planning, and succession planning. Risks related to matrimonial property law and inheritance law are often not systematically taken into account—we fill this gap.
We work with your existing team of advisors and handle the family law aspects without replacing your asset management or tax advisory services.
The prenuptial agreement specifies which assets are subject to the accrual of gains and thus often forms the matrimonial property basis upon which other structures, such as trusts or holding companies, are built.
Trusts and foundations can separate assets from the personal estates of individual family members. Whether and how this is valid under matrimonial property law in a specific case depends on the structure and the applicable legal system.
We determine the applicable legal systems and tailor the structure to ensure it remains consistent across generations and national borders, supported by our international network of partners.
We treat all information as strictly confidential, take reasonable measures to protect it and coordinate communication within the family and with the advisory group closely with you.
There is no fixed cutoff point. It generally makes sense to involve family law whenever multiple asset structures, countries, or generations are involved.