Legal
Family Office
Discrete, integrated legal advice for family office clients.
Legal Advisory
Full-service commercial legal capability through Corson Fiske ILP.
Overview
How we help.
Family offices require legal advice that is discreet, integrated and aligned to the specific objectives of the family. Corporate structures, trusts, succession planning, philanthropy and inevitable disputes all need to be handled by advisers who understand both the technical complexity and the relational sensitivity.
Corson Fiske works through Corson Fiske ILP with family offices and private clients on the legal dimensions of wealth preservation and succession. Our integrated capability means tax, legal, accounting and advisory questions are answered within a single trusted relationship.
We work closely with family members, trustees, advisers and external counsel as required.
Capabilities
- Trust and estate advisory
- Private company and holding structures
- Succession planning and governance
- Philanthropic structures and PAFs
- Pre-marital and cohabitation arrangements
- Private disputes and mediation
- Asset protection planning
- Confidentiality and privacy matters
Client Situations
When clients engage us.
The issues that bring clients through our door tend to fall into familiar patterns.
A succession plan is being developed
Multi-generational wealth and business succession needs to be structured and documented.
A trust review is required
Existing trust structures need review for tax, succession and governance purposes.
A private dispute has emerged
A family or shareholder dispute requires confidential, senior-level handling.
Philanthropic plans are being implemented
A private ancillary fund or other philanthropic structure is being established.
A regulator has opened an investigation
ASIC, the ACCC, a state regulator or an industry body has commenced inquiries. Privileged legal counsel is required immediately.
A counterparty has breached a material contract
A significant commercial relationship has broken down and the legal options — from negotiation through to contested proceedings — need to be assessed.
Outcomes
What you can expect.
- Integrated structures that serve the family’s objectives
- Resolved disputes with preserved family relationships where possible
- Succession plans that work across generations
- Private matters kept private
Deeper Reading
Key legal considerations for family office clients
Family offices face a distinctive combination of legal issues: trust and estate structuring, private company governance, philanthropic vehicles, pre-nuptial and cohabitation arrangements, succession planning, and the confidentiality and privacy considerations that attach to significant private wealth. Decisions made now shape outcomes across multiple generations.
Trust structures remain central to most family office arrangements. The interaction between discretionary trusts, unit trusts, testamentary trusts, superannuation and private companies requires careful coordination — and the consequences of poor structuring can manifest decades later when succession or disputes bring hidden issues to the surface.
Our practice advises principals, trustees, family members and external advisors on these matters, with strict confidentiality and integration with the firm’s tax and corporate advisory capability.
Questions we are often asked
Should trust deeds be updated?
Older trust deeds often contain provisions that no longer reflect current law or family circumstances: vesting dates approaching, appointor succession provisions that do not work, distribution mechanics that restrict flexibility, or trustee powers that are too narrow. Variation requires careful legal and tax analysis to avoid triggering resettlement.
How does a private ancillary fund differ from a public ancillary fund?
A PAF is typically established by a family for its own philanthropic giving and must distribute at least 5% of its net assets each year. A PuAF is open to public contributions. PAFs offer greater control; PuAFs offer scale. Each has distinct ATO endorsement, governance and reporting requirements.
What protections exist for family disputes?
Well-drafted shareholders agreements, trust deeds, family constitutions and dispute resolution clauses significantly reduce the risk of public or contested family disputes. Where disputes have already crystallised, confidential mediation is usually preferable to court proceedings for both commercial and reputational reasons.
Client Success
Outcomes from recent engagements.
Indicative results from engagements within this practice area. Client details have been anonymised; outcomes reflect actual matters completed by the firm.
$15M
Dispute Resolved
Construction dispute
Acted for a property developer in a contested Security of Payment matter, achieving a $15M favourable settlement on the eve of adjudication.
Property developer
AFSL Granted
90 days
Licensing application
Prepared and lodged an AFSL application for a fintech client that was granted within ASIC’s service standard of 90 days with no requisitions.
Fintech startup
Retained TM
Bad-faith opposition
Section 62A opposition
Successfully opposed a bad-faith trade mark application under section 62A of the Trade Marks Act 1995, protecting a registered Australian consumer brand.
Consumer brand
Why Corson Fiske
Experience where it counts.
Clients engage Corson Fiske because they need advice they can act on — delivered by senior practitioners who understand both the technical detail and the commercial consequences. Every engagement is led by a partner with direct experience in complex legal matters.
Our integrated structure means tax, legal, accounting and advisory questions are resolved within a single firm. For clients operating across Australia, Asia, New Zealand or Asia, our office network in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Singapore and Auckland provides consistent advice across jurisdictions.
Our Approach
A refined four-phase method for every engagement.
Corson Fiske applies the same disciplined framework to every matter, regardless of scale. The phases below are not a marketing device — they are the actual structure our partners use to move clients from uncertainty to resolution.
Phase One
01
Understand
A confidential partner-led briefing to establish the facts, commercial drivers, timing pressures and stakeholder dynamics.
- Confidential scoping conversation
- Document and data review
- Stakeholder mapping
- Initial risk identification
Phase Two
02
Analyse
Structured technical and commercial analysis of every realistic option, with a clear view of risks, costs and likely outcomes.
- Technical legal and tax analysis
- Commercial modelling
- Risk-weighted options assessment
- Precedent and market benchmarking
Phase Three
03
Recommend
A written partner recommendation in plain English — not a list of caveats. We stand behind our advice and explain our reasoning.
- Clear written recommendation
- Implementation sequencing
- Stakeholder communication plan
- Contingency and fallback positions
Phase Four
04
Execute
Hands-on delivery of the agreed plan with partner oversight, regular milestone reporting and clear handback at completion.
- Implementation leadership
- Stakeholder engagement
- Milestone tracking and reporting
- Completion review and handback
Key Considerations
What clients need to know.
Engaging external advisors on any significant matter raises practical questions about scope, timing, cost and outcomes. We believe in being straightforward about each of these from the first conversation.
How engagements typically begin
Every engagement starts with a confidential initial conversation — usually 30 to 60 minutes — in which we listen to the situation, ask the questions needed to understand it properly, and share a view on whether and how we can help. There is no charge for this conversation and no obligation to proceed.
How we scope and price work
We prefer fixed-fee or capped-fee arrangements wherever the scope allows. Where the scope is genuinely uncertain — as in contested matters — we agree hourly rates upfront and provide regular fee updates against defined phases. We do not bill for internal discussions, file opening or routine administration.
Who you will work with
Every engagement is led by a partner with direct experience in the matter type. That partner remains your primary point of contact throughout. Specialist colleagues join the team where their expertise is required, but you will never be passed from person to person or find the partner you hired is no longer on the file.
How we handle confidentiality and privilege
All engagements are subject to strict confidentiality. Where legal advice is being delivered, it is provided through our incorporated legal practice and attracts legal professional privilege. We take document security, information handling and communications discipline seriously on every matter.
Get the right advice from Corson Fiske.
Confidential, no-obligation initial consultations with a partner who specialises in complex legal matters.