OUR APPROACH

For centuries, most high net worth families have planned for their futures by seeking to grow their family wealth and preserve their assets for future generations with the help of traditional professionals. Unfortunately, the success rate for this approach is dramatically different from the desired outcome. In 70% of families, both the assets and family unity are exhausted by the end of the second generation. The assets may not necessarily disappear, they may be converted to cash or other assets. It is also possible that the family may be in agreement that the family business be liquidated. But the fact remains, by the end of the third generation, 90% of families have seen their unity and their assets disappear.

So what makes the 10% successful? It is clearly more than the money. It is clearly more than the professional advisors who provide guidance. The answer is twofold. First, successful families have been able to name their differences and work together to define and resolve divergent family member needs and interests through conflict resolution and collaborative planning. Second, successful families shift the focus from solely financials to building or rebuilding strong bonds within the family based on trust and communication. It may sound simple, but it works, and it is the “secret sauce” of why the Spencer Legacy Group has been sought out to help families challenged by dynamics that disrupt the continuation of wealth to future generations.

As the number of wealthy families has exploded since the 1990’s, many families have come to see the value of what some call “soft skills” that complement the “hard skills” of more traditional professionals. Often inability, lack of interest, or simply lack of time prevent many professionals in the field from delivering or even considering the service offerings and specific expertise that is the trademark of the Spencer Legacy Group.

The Spencer Legacy Group Team brings a unique set of skills and experience to serve high net worth families and those who serve them. For nearly three decades, SLG Team members have worked to help their clients better manage cooperation, conflict, and change, and overcome difficult and very private challenges.

Drawing on their backgrounds in law, business consulting, and conflict resolution, medicine, mental health, banking, financial understanding, and the best practices associated with each of these disciplines, the SLG Team members have developed a series of programs and services designed to help clients deal with their toughest challenges.

Having run businesses, managed Federal agencies, professional services firms, non-profits, established Family Offices, managed clinical and forensic psychology and neuropsychology practices, mediated civil wars and tried legal cases, their experience across disciplines and work with individuals and families in transition, is unparalleled. Their reputations are based on the highest standards of confidentiality, their ability to get results, and their own modeling of integrity.

Clients of the Spencer Legacy Group list personal integrity as the most common adjective to describe our work.

Unrelenting Integrity

Our deep skills in conflict resolution are differentiating, but our integrity is defining. Integrity to SLG is ethical soundness and honesty, straight-talk client feedback, and the caring “tough love” that can be transformational. This is what our clients tell us.

Caring Skills

Family dynamics and the business of family success can be difficult and stressful.

Our work with families and their advisors has helped to retain the joy and sense of accomplishment of being a family capable of sharing its wealth of values, relationships, and legacy across generations. Understanding and Caring- –based on a foundation of deep skills and compassion — is why our services are valued.