Family Offices
What family offices are, why they exist, the types — single, multi, micro, virtual — and what they cost.
Foundations
A family office is the organizational infrastructure a family builds around significant wealth, a dedicated structure that coordinates investments, accounting, tax, legal, estate planning, risk management, and… · 7 min read
Family offices exist because significant wealth creates a level of complexity that scattered advisors, generic bank…
Whether you need a family office depends far more on the complexity of your financial life than on a specific dollar…
Types of Family Offices
Family offices come in several distinct forms. Single-family offices, multi-family offices, micro family offices…
A single family office (SFO) is a private organization built and owned by one family to manage the full complexity of…
A multi-family office (MFO) is a professional firm that delivers family-office-level services, investment oversight…
A micro family office is an informal term for a deliberately lean family office structure built around a principal and…
A virtual family office (VFO) is a coordinated network of outside specialists. Accountants, attorneys, investment…
An embedded family office is an informal arrangement where the CFO, controller, or other senior staff of a family's…
Family office examples and structures range from a lean two- or three-person team that outsources most functions, to a…
Costs & Economics
A family office costs anywhere from a few hundred thousand dollars a year for a lean outsourced setup to several…
A family office makes economic sense when the total cost of building and running one is lower than the combined fees…
History & Context
Family offices have existed in some form for centuries, from European aristocratic stewards managing land and household…