Family Council
A family council is the standing governance body that represents the family inside the family office's decision-making structure. Membership is usually small — five to nine — drawn from across branches, often elected to fixed terms. The council holds authority on family-policy matters: distribution policy, employment of family members, alignment of office activity with the family mission, and the appointment of family representatives to the family-office board.
The family council is distinct from the family assembly, which is broader and primarily informational. Conflating the two produces forums that are too large to decide and too narrow to inform. Working councils maintain a quarterly meeting cadence with written agendas, decision logs, and at least one independent advisor in the room.
Related terms
Deeper reading
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