Since written records began, we know people have used various
structures to hold or own their wealth. In Europe, these were
initially aimed at maintaining economically viable parcels of land
within (male) family ownership. Later, formal structures for
co-investment were developed, from unlimited partnerships subject
to written partnership agreements, to unlimited and limited
liability companies. Limited liability companies were particularly
useful from an investment perspective, because they allowed
investors to risk the capital they had agreed to risk but no
more.
An original version of this article was first
published in IFC Review, July 2025.
The modern family office has a plethora of structuring options
available to it for owning and deploying a family's wealth.
This article will explain one of the most popular available in
Guernsey, as a well-regulated international financial centre of
good standing. This structure is available for all family offices,
whether
