Frequently Asked Questions

Averell advises a limited number of ultra-high-net-worth families and their family offices, typically with wealth, businesses, and family members in more than one jurisdiction. Our clients are principals, founders, and families based in or moving between Monaco, Europe, and the United States.

Averell is independent. We do not sell products, manage assets, or accept commissions, and we are not a bank, law firm, or registered investment adviser. Banks, law firms, and investment managers each address one part of a family’s affairs. Averell works across all of them: we set the strategy, bring in the right licensed specialists, and direct their work so that every part of the family’s affairs moves in the same direction.

No. Averell is not a law firm, tax advisor, or registered investment adviser. Where an engagement requires legal, tax, investment, or immigration advice, that advice is provided by independent, licensed professionals engaged directly by the family. Averell coordinates their work within the family’s overall strategy.

No. We work alongside the family’s existing lawyers, tax advisors, bankers, trustees, and investment managers. Where there are gaps, we identify them and help the family engage independent, licensed specialists to fill them. Our role is to align every advisor around one strategy and hold each to account for delivering it.

Yes. We work alongside existing family offices, supporting the principal and the office’s team on matters that cross jurisdictions or disciplines. For families without a family office, we can establish one, in Monaco, Miami, or elsewhere, and remain involved as it develops.

Yes. Many engagements begin with an introduction from a family’s lawyer, banker, or trustee. We work alongside the introducing advisor rather than in place of them, and we make and accept no referral payments.

Averell is headquartered in Monaco, with offices in Miami and London. We advise families across Europe and the Americas and coordinate with advisors in the Middle East and Asia where a family’s interests require it.

We take on a limited number of families at any one time, so that each receives the direct attention of the founder. Where we are unable to take on a new engagement, we will say so at the outset.

Averell is paid by the family alone, through a retainer or project fee agreed in writing before work begins. We accept no commissions or payments from banks, product providers, or other advisors, so our advice answers only to the family.

Every engagement follows four stages. Discovery: a confidential review of the family’s structures, advisors, and objectives. Strategy: a single written plan covering structure, governance, capital, and residency. Implementation: we direct the family’s licensed advisors to execute the plan. Stewardship: an ongoing relationship, reviewing the plan as the family, its assets, and the law change. Each engagement is governed by a written engagement letter agreed before work begins.

We move at the pace the matter requires. Urgent matters, such as a dispute, a transaction deadline, or a change of residence, are prioritised from the first conversation, and work begins as soon as the engagement letter is agreed.

As with any reputable advisory practice, we complete identity and source-of-wealth checks before accepting a new engagement. This protects the family, Averell, and the institutions we work with, and it allows banks and other counterparties to proceed with confidence.

Yes. Relocation is one of our core services. We plan residency in Monaco and relocation to the United States or within Europe with licensed immigration and tax counsel, align the family’s structures with the new residence before the move, and coordinate banking, property, and household arrangements. See Residency and Relocation.

Yes. We are often engaged once a dispute is under way. We assess the matter, set the strategy, and build and direct the legal and specialist team through to resolution. See Disputes and Contentious Matters.

Your enquiry is answered personally within one business day. Where appropriate, we arrange an initial confidential conversation, in person in Monaco, Miami, or London, or by video. There is no charge for this first conversation and no obligation to proceed.

Yes. Every enquiry is answered personally and held in strict confidence. We do not disclose client names, matters, or relationships, and any information shared with us is handled in accordance with our Privacy Notice.