Trust, Family Office & Succession Planning

As family-owned businesses and high-net-worth individuals in India accumulate wealth across generations, the question of how that wealth is held, governed, and eventually transferred becomes as important as how it is earned. Private trusts, family offices, and structured succession plans offer a way to organise assets, formalise governance among family members, and pass on wealth to the next generation in a manner that is orderly, tax-efficient, and less prone to future disputes.

Why This Matters

Without a clear succession framework, the transfer of wealth on the retirement or passing of a family patriarch or matriarch can lead to fragmented ownership, disputes among heirs, and avoidable tax and compliance costs. Families that plan ahead, by contrast, are able to preserve the value of the business and assets they have built, maintain family harmony, and ensure that the structures they put in place remain compliant with evolving tax and regulatory requirements.

How We Help

Private Trust Structuring

We advise on the setting up of private family trusts, including determining the appropriate type of trust, drafting considerations for the trust deed, and the tax treatment applicable to the trust, its trustees, and its beneficiaries, so that the structure achieves the family's objectives without creating unintended tax consequences.

Family Office Setup and Governance

For families with more complex and diversified holdings, we assist in establishing a family office structure to consolidate investment management, compliance, and reporting across entities, and help design governance frameworks, such as family constitutions and councils, that clarify decision-making authority across generations.

Succession and Estate Planning

We work with families to map out how business ownership, real estate, financial investments, and other assets should pass to the next generation, considering wills, nomination arrangements, and trust structures together so that the overall plan is coherent and minimises the scope for future disputes.

Tax-Efficient Intergenerational Transfer

We evaluate the tax implications of different modes of transfer, whether through gifts, trusts, or testamentary arrangements, and help families structure the timing and manner of transfer in a way that reduces friction costs while remaining fully compliant with applicable tax provisions.

Who Needs This

• Promoter families of privately held businesses planning for leadership transition
• High-net-worth individuals and families with diversified investment portfolios
• Families seeking to formalise governance and decision-making across generations
• Individuals looking to structure charitable or philanthropic giving alongside family wealth planning

Our Approach

We recognise that succession and family wealth matters are as much about family relationships as they are about tax and legal structuring, and we approach each engagement with the sensitivity these discussions require. Our recommendations are tailored to each family's specific circumstances and long-term objectives, and we work alongside legal counsel and other advisors to ensure the resulting structures are practical, durable, and easy for the family to operate over time.

Get in Touch

To discuss how we can support you with trust, family office, and succession planning, write to us at info@agarwalurs.com.