Getting Started
A Straightforward Way to Begin
Our Process
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Discuss Your Circumstances
We talk through how your family’s affairs are arranged today, who advises you and what matters most right now.
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Agree the Scope
We propose the work, who does what and the reporting. You choose what you need, and we set out the scope and fees in an engagement letter.
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Set Up the Ongoing Work
We gather records securely and agree who does what with your advisors. Then the work begins, starting with your priorities.
Once the Work Is Set Up
A Rhythm for the Year Ahead
Throughout the Year
Keep Records Current
Deadlines tracked, documents gathered and follow-through coordinated with your advisors.
Every Quarter
Bring the Picture Together
Your family’s position brought together across its companies, trusts and accounts.
Once a Year
Look Ahead with Your Advisors
A review of the year ahead, with you and the advisors you already have.
Services and timing are set for each family.
In Every Engagement
Why Families Choose Dunvegan
Service model
Built around your family’s structure
Tax
Part of every plan from the start
Who you work with
The founders, from the first meeting on
Your advisors
Coordinated, working from the same numbers
Communication
Ongoing and direct, through the year
What a Family Office Costs
Family Office Support, Without the Cost of Building One
The figures below are not our fees. They show what it typically costs a family to build and run its own single-family office each year: the staff, systems and overhead behind the same kind of support. We provide that support from experienced founders who have worked inside single-family offices, shared across a small number of families, so you get the quality of a dedicated office without carrying its full cost.
Typical Cost of a Dedicated Single-Family Office
| Assets overseen | Estimated operating cost % of assets | Average annual operating cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250M or less | 0.70% | $875K | |
| $251M to $500M | 0.45% | $1.7M | |
| $501M to $999M | 0.44% | $3.3M | |
| $1B+ | 0.44% | $6.6M | |
Source: J.P. Morgan Private Bank, 2026 Global Family Office Report. Costs in US dollars. Percentages are Dunvegan estimates using assumed asset levels for each band.
Methodology
Percentages are Dunvegan estimates: average annual operating cost divided by an assumed asset level for each band. Assumed assets are $125M, $375.5M, $750M and $1.5B, respectively. These are illustrative ratios, not the average cost percentage of individual offices.
Many Advisors, No Central Office
Your accountant, lawyer, investment advisor and banker each see part of the picture. Coordinating it still falls to you.
The Single-Family Office Option
A dedicated family office can provide that coordination, but its salaries and systems come at a significant annual cost.
The Dunvegan Approach
We provide the finance, tax, reporting and coordination support of a family office, shared across a select number of families.
Take the First Step
A short note is enough to begin. If it makes sense to talk, we will find a time.