What Is Family Office?

A family office is an organizational structure used by high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families to coordinate the management of wealth, legal affairs, tax planning, investments, and family governance. Family offices range from simple centralized advisory arrangements to fully staffed organizations managing all aspects of a family’s financial and administrative life.

Family office advisory involves providing legal and tax guidance that supports the effective operation of these structures. This includes advising on the legal frameworks for family governance, coordinating estate planning and tax planning across generations, structuring entities, and supporting decision-making processes that serve the family’s collective interests over time.

Family Office Advisory Services

We advise on the legal and tax frameworks that support effective family office operations, helping families establish clear structures and align planning across estate, tax, investment, and philanthropic priorities. Our background includes direct experience at Goldman Sachs’ Private Family Office, providing practical insight into how complex families manage wealth, governance, and decision-making.

Services Include

• Family office structuring and governance support
• Coordination of estate, tax, and philanthropic planning
• Multi-generational wealth and succession planning
• Entity formation and oversight
• Advisory support for family councils and decision-making processes
• Coordination with internal teams and external advisors

When You May Benefit from Family Office Advisory

• You manage significant or multi-generational family wealth
• You are establishing or restructuring a family office
• You need legal and tax guidance integrated across your advisory team
• You are planning for succession or intergenerational wealth transfer
• You want to align estate, tax, and philanthropic planning under a cohesive framework

Our Approach

Our approach is grounded in practical experience advising ultra-high-net-worth families and family offices on advanced estate and tax planning. We understand the operational realities of family offices — including the coordination demands across legal, tax, investment, and administrative functions — and provide legal guidance that supports clear, effective governance.

We work alongside existing advisors — including investment managers, CPAs, and trust officers — to ensure that legal and tax planning is fully integrated with each family’s overall structure and long-term objectives. For families with philanthropic goals, we also coordinate philanthropic planning as part of a cohesive wealth strategy.

Geographic Service Area

Olive Branch Counsel advises family office clients throughout North Texas, including Plano, Frisco, Dallas, and McKinney, as well as clients in New York and Oklahoma.

Why Clients Choose Olive Branch Counsel

• Direct experience within Goldman Sachs’ Private Family Office — advising ultra-high-net-worth families on complex estate and tax matters
• Deep understanding of family office operations, governance, and advisor coordination
• NYU LL.M. in Taxation — rigorous technical foundation across estate, tax, and trust law
• Coordinated approach with investment managers, CPAs, trust officers, and other advisors
• Integrated planning across estate, tax, and philanthropic strategies
• Serving clients in Plano, Frisco, Dallas, McKinney, and throughout North Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a family office do?

A family office centralizes the management of a wealthy family’s financial, legal, tax, and administrative affairs. It may coordinate investment management, estate planning, tax compliance, philanthropy, and family governance — either through an internal staff or through a network of external advisors working in a coordinated way. Family offices exist on a spectrum, from informal advisor coordination to fully staffed entities.

How does legal counsel fit into a family office structure?

Legal counsel provides guidance on the estate planning, tax structuring, entity formation, and governance frameworks that underpin a family office’s operations. Attorneys also advise on legal documents — including trust agreements, family limited partnership agreements, and succession plans — and ensure that planning decisions are properly implemented and legally sound.

What is multi-generational wealth planning?

Multi-generational wealth planning involves structuring the transfer and governance of assets across two or more generations in a way that minimizes taxes, preserves family harmony, and supports the family’s long-term values and objectives. It typically involves trusts, family governance frameworks, education for younger family members, and coordinated planning across estate, tax, and philanthropic strategies.