Common Parental Concerns

Raising a family in the context of significant wealth - or a family enterprise - brings real benefits, but also pressures that are rarely discussed.

1

How do we bridge the gap between the upbringing we had and the one our children are having?

2

How and when should we begin including our children in family meetings and conversations about the family business?

3

We are concerned the next generation are not close enough with one another to handle the shared responsibilities that will be handed to their generation.

4

As a couple, we have very different views about wealth and how to talk about it with our children. We need to resolve this.

5

We're welcoming someone new into the family through marriage, and wondering how to do it well.

6

We need to think carefully about reputation, privacy, and visibility as our children move into public adulthood.

7

We want to divide the money fairly - but our children have different needs. How do we manage this?

8

How do they grow up knowing the difference between self-worth and net-worth if they've always had the latter?

9

Our child seems to lack motivation or direction - despite having every option open to them. Why?

10

We know we need to set clearer boundaries with money, but don't know where to begin.

Common Rising-Gen Concerns

Growing up in the context of significant wealth - or a family enterprise - shapes you in ways that are rarely understood by those on the outside.

1

I worry that anything I do will fall short of my parents’ success.

2

How do I know if people like me for who I am or what I come from?

3

I’ve been given so much - but I need to find my own identity and path. How do I do that?

4

I feel responsible for preserving something that I did not create.

5

I feel immense guilt for being born into such privilege. How do I manage this?

6

People seem to think I’m lazy, but I feel overwhelmed and under immense pressure.

7

I know I'll take on a role in the family business one day, but I feel unprepared for what that will actually involve. Where's the guide?

8

People just assume that because my parents are successful, I have it easy and 'know my purpose'.

9

We have a family office - what is that? And what does it mean to be a beneficiary? 

10

I know the family have had significant conflict in previous generations, how do we avoid that in ours? 

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Common Advisory Concerns

We work alongside family offices, legal counsel, and trusted advisers, who often see the human dynamics of a family system at close range but cannot always surface them directly.

1

The rising generation isn't engaging with us, and don't attend meetings when invited.

2

The principal is reluctant to have the inheritance conversation, and time is passing.

3

The structures for succession are in place - the people aren't.

4

Siblings or cousins are in conflict, and it's beginning to affect governance decisions.

5

Our beneficiaries don't understand the trust structures that have been set up for them

6

A family member is showing signs of distress, but it feels outside our remit to raise.

7

A next-generation family member is moving into a board or ownership role, and isn't yet ready.

8

Philanthropy or foundation work lacks alignment across the generations.

9

We want to introduce developmental support, but don't know how to raise it with the family without giving offence.

10

We are preparing for the eventual transition from G1 to G2, and wondering how the relationship with the family will continue.