Only 35% of family offices have a succession plan: Why wealth transfer remains a blind spot
Only 35% of family offices have a succession plan for the Family Office itself, compared with 57% that have a plan for wealth succession, highlighting a gap in institutional preparedness.
- Oct 1, 2026,
- Updated Oct 1, 2026 2:35 AM IST
As India’s pool of wealthy families expands, succession planning is emerging as a critical challenge for family offices. A 360 ONE Wealth handbook cites data showing that while 57% of family offices have a wealth succession plan, only 35% have a succession plan for the Family Office itself.
The finding comes from Lasting Legacies: A family office handbook for How Founders Design Their Future, launched by 360 ONE Wealth. The publication examines succession, governance, family dynamics and the evolution of family offices as wealth moves from one generation to the next.
Wealth succession does not mean Family Office succession
The distinction between transferring wealth and transferring the institution managing that wealth is becoming increasingly important. While families may have plans for passing assets to the next generation, the handbook highlights a gap in planning for who will lead and operate the Family Office itself.
According to the data cited in the handbook, 49% of family offices have a formal governance framework, while 50% have a documented investment process. This suggests that institutional structures around family wealth remain uneven even where investment management has become more formalised.
| Area | Family offices with formal plan/process |
|---|---|
| Wealth succession plan | 57% |
| Documented investment process | 50% |
| Formal governance framework | 49% |
| Family Office succession plan | 35% |
Source: 360 ONE Wealth’s Lasting Legacies family office handbook.
The handbook argues that as families grow across generations, ownership becomes more dispersed and decision-making becomes more collective. This can make a founder-dependent model increasingly difficult to sustain.
From founder dependence to institutionalisation
360 ONE Wealth describes the Family Office as a “strategic nerve centre of an Enterprising Family”, bringing together people, processes, information and technology. Its Family Office Maturity Model maps the evolution of a Family Office across four stages, from Formative to Evolved.
The objective is to reduce dependence on a single individual and build systems capable of supporting decision-making across generations. This includes governance structures, investment processes, information systems and preparation of the next generation.
The handbook also points to the growing role of younger family members. As the next generation becomes more involved, families need mechanisms that allow them to participate in decision-making while maintaining clarity around roles and responsibilities.
DO READ: What happens when you die without a will? Here's why your family could face years of legal battles
Why the gap matters
For wealthy families, succession is not limited to deciding who receives which assets. A Family Office may oversee investments, governance, succession planning, trusteeship and other aspects of family wealth. If its own leadership transition is not planned, the transfer of wealth could create a parallel transition challenge for the institution managing it.
360 ONE says its handbook draws on its experience advising ultra-high-net-worth families, interactions with Family Office professionals and industry research. It includes self-assessment tools and frameworks intended to help families identify gaps in entrepreneurial readiness and Family Office maturity.
The broader wealth landscape is also expanding. The handbook notes that 85,698 individuals in India have a net worth of US$10 million or more, while family businesses contribute more than 75% of GDP.
For families entering their second or third generation, the challenge is therefore shifting from simply creating wealth to building institutions capable of preserving and managing it over time.
ALSO READ: Don’t leave your family fighting: 8 in 10 Indians have no 'Will' despite...
As India’s pool of wealthy families expands, succession planning is emerging as a critical challenge for family offices. A 360 ONE Wealth handbook cites data showing that while 57% of family offices have a wealth succession plan, only 35% have a succession plan for the Family Office itself.
The finding comes from Lasting Legacies: A family office handbook for How Founders Design Their Future, launched by 360 ONE Wealth. The publication examines succession, governance, family dynamics and the evolution of family offices as wealth moves from one generation to the next.
Wealth succession does not mean Family Office succession
The distinction between transferring wealth and transferring the institution managing that wealth is becoming increasingly important. While families may have plans for passing assets to the next generation, the handbook highlights a gap in planning for who will lead and operate the Family Office itself.
According to the data cited in the handbook, 49% of family offices have a formal governance framework, while 50% have a documented investment process. This suggests that institutional structures around family wealth remain uneven even where investment management has become more formalised.
| Area | Family offices with formal plan/process |
|---|---|
| Wealth succession plan | 57% |
| Documented investment process | 50% |
| Formal governance framework | 49% |
| Family Office succession plan | 35% |
Source: 360 ONE Wealth’s Lasting Legacies family office handbook.
The handbook argues that as families grow across generations, ownership becomes more dispersed and decision-making becomes more collective. This can make a founder-dependent model increasingly difficult to sustain.
From founder dependence to institutionalisation
360 ONE Wealth describes the Family Office as a “strategic nerve centre of an Enterprising Family”, bringing together people, processes, information and technology. Its Family Office Maturity Model maps the evolution of a Family Office across four stages, from Formative to Evolved.
The objective is to reduce dependence on a single individual and build systems capable of supporting decision-making across generations. This includes governance structures, investment processes, information systems and preparation of the next generation.
The handbook also points to the growing role of younger family members. As the next generation becomes more involved, families need mechanisms that allow them to participate in decision-making while maintaining clarity around roles and responsibilities.
DO READ: What happens when you die without a will? Here's why your family could face years of legal battles
Why the gap matters
For wealthy families, succession is not limited to deciding who receives which assets. A Family Office may oversee investments, governance, succession planning, trusteeship and other aspects of family wealth. If its own leadership transition is not planned, the transfer of wealth could create a parallel transition challenge for the institution managing it.
360 ONE says its handbook draws on its experience advising ultra-high-net-worth families, interactions with Family Office professionals and industry research. It includes self-assessment tools and frameworks intended to help families identify gaps in entrepreneurial readiness and Family Office maturity.
The broader wealth landscape is also expanding. The handbook notes that 85,698 individuals in India have a net worth of US$10 million or more, while family businesses contribute more than 75% of GDP.
For families entering their second or third generation, the challenge is therefore shifting from simply creating wealth to building institutions capable of preserving and managing it over time.
ALSO READ: Don’t leave your family fighting: 8 in 10 Indians have no 'Will' despite...