Australia

William Buck’s Family Office service provides comprehensive support to affluent families, aiding them in preserving and expanding their wealth and legacies. We specialise in establishing robust and transparent governance frameworks, facilitating successful intergenerational wealth transfers, and preparing future generations for effective stewardship.

As trusted advisors to some of the wealthiest families in Australia and New Zealand, we approach each engagement with care and confidentiality and provide a highly sophisticated, personalised service.

We make the distinction that we do not claim to be the Family Office. You, the client and your family are the Family Office, and the Family Office vehicle is owned and controlled by the family. Rather, we like to think of ourselves as bespoke Family Office architects and advisors.

Why choose William Buck’s Family Office services?

Operating within a fully integrated firm of financial and business advisors, William Buck’s Family Office service is uniquely positioned to manage all your financial affairs. We use our expertise to pull together a team of experts from across the firm based on your circumstances and devise a strategy to meet and exceed your goals.

Our skilled team has worked extensively with wealthy to ultra-high-net-worth families over many years. This provides us with deep insight and a level of empathy for our clients that is present during every engagement and decision.

Could your family’s affairs be improved and better protected?

The Family Office model can be hugely valuable in protecting and deploying the capital pool and investing in the wellbeing and quality of life of the family group.

While there are common catalysts for the formation of a Family Office – the most common being a full or partial family business liquidity event when the question of ‘what do we do next?’ arises – we believe the earlier the Family Office is established, the better the results.

The model is important even before a family business restructure and can seamlessly complement a family business, providing important diversification, volatility reduction and increased liquidity to meet the family’s evolving requirements. It can also position the family well to manage the transition should a liquidity event arise in the future while also providing a strong governance framework to ensure smooth wealth transfers.

A Family Office advised by William Buck will also leverage our integrated model to manage all tax, reporting and administrative matters on behalf of the family including personal asset management and bill paying, insurances and philanthropic services. Your advisor will project manage your financial affairs and all associated risks and steer your advisory team to achieve your objectives.

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There are some common catalysts for the formation of a Family Office. The most common of which is a full or partial family business liquidity event wherein the question of, “What do we do next?” arises. However, at William Buck, we believe that the earlier the Family Office is established, the better the results. A preemptively formed Family Office, even before any business restructuring, can seamlessly align with a family business, offering diversification, reducing financial volatility, and ensuring liquidity. Furthermore, it readies the family for future transitions, fortified with adept counsel and a robust governance framework ensuring seamless wealth transitions.

A Family Office advised by William Buck will leverage our integrated model to manage all tax, reporting and administrative matters on behalf of the family, including personal asset management and bill paying, insurance and philanthropic services. Your partner will manage all associated risks and steer the wider team towards achieving your objectives.

A Family Office structure to meet different needs

We tailor our Family Office services to your needs, whatever they may be. We take a considered approach to understanding each family’s unique needs and build a service offering to match. This can be anything from a more conventional wealth advisory structure to a complex, multidisciplinary offering with a full suite of services and a carefully selected team of advisors. As your family grows, engaging multiple generations to achieve long-term interests becomes more complex. We recognise this and will adapt and evolve your Family Office structure so that it always meets your needs.

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Whether it is a straightforward structure designed for individual business owners and high-net-worth individuals or a multifaceted, in-house model with a holistic suite of services and an expert advisory team, we are here to guide and support you. 

As your family grows, so too will the complexity of engaging multiple generations to achieve the long-term interests of the family. Acknowledging this evolving complexity, we ensure your family office structure remains adaptive, always conforming to your developing needs.

Key solutions

  • Identify the right ownership structures to minimise tax and optimise cashflow
  • Assist trustees in the prudent management of investments with a focus on asset allocation
  • Investment committee charter, policy and ongoing reporting
  • Recruitment, contracts, payroll, management structure and organisational chart
  • Based on three distinct stages: awareness, assessment, action
  • Educate future generations on leadership and ownership
  • Identify shared values and define a clear purpose for family wealth
  • Wills, estates, testamentary trusts, trustee services
  • Tailored strategies to support the transition of your business assets and personal wealth
  • Maintenance of a personal asset register and depreciation schedules for aircraft, boats, vehicles and properties
  • Management of residences including cleaning, maintenance, gardening, furnishing, refurbishments, etc.
  • Protect and enhance your long-term legacies, position and impact in the community
  • Achieve effective and sustainable giving through causes that match your family’s values

Frequently asked questions

What is a Family Office?

A Family Office is a specialised entity tailored to oversee the extensive financial, investment, and often, personal affairs of high-net-worth families. At its core, the Family Office services provided by establishments like William Buck Family Office in Australia are focused on wealth preservation, governance transparency, and transgenerational wealth transitions. Serving as a family’s bespoke financial advisor, wealth manager, and more, it’s designed to cater to unique family needs and ambitions, ensuring their financial legacy prospers across generations.

Who needs a Family Office?

Family Office services are essential for affluent families, high net worth individuals, and families with intricate financial structures. Family Office services are beneficial for those intent on establishing transparent governance, managing multifaceted assets or navigating the complexities of passing wealth across generations. 

The Family Office Australia landscape, with William Buck as a prime example, caters to a diverse clientele. From individual entrepreneurs and high-net-worth personalities to multi-generational families, a family office is a cornerstone for those aiming to align financial strategies, preserve wealth, and ensure future family generations are primed for financial stewardship.

How much money do you need for a Family Office?

The financial threshold for establishing a Family Office can vary and is often influenced by the depth of services required and the family’s specific objectives. While Family Office services are traditionally linked to substantial liquidity events, it is more about the value and complexity of assets rather than a strict monetary amount. Early establishment of a Family Office, even before significant liquidity milestones, can yield profound benefits.

Family Office Specialists

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