Ocorian: Family offices turn to third parties for specialist expertise

July 31, 2026

Ocorian’s study among family members and senior family office employees responsible for total wealth of $119.37 billion found that advice on illiquid investments (55%) and cyber security (49%) is currently most received from third parties, closely followed by advice on personal finances (48%).

At the other end of the spectrum, only 3% of family offices surveyed say they currently receive third-party support on extended family services, such as concierge needs, global insurance programmes and extended family financial support.

However, demand is set to rise, with over three quarters (77%) of respondents citing their use of third-party support for key services will increase across the board over the next three years, with just 21% saying it will stay the same as it is today.

The main reason given is a desire for more sophisticated services (74%), followed by a lack of expertise in-house as family offices grow (62%) and the realisation that third parties are more cost-effective (55%).

More specifically, 70% said the plan to increase third party support for extended family services as their needs and requirements change and they are faced with new, emerging challenges. More than two-thirds (68%) said their use of outsourcing around wealth planning will increase in the next three years.

The study in 16 countries or territories including the UK, UAE, Singapore, Switzerland, Hong Kong, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius and Bahrain found that when looking to appoint third party specialists, the most important factor cited by 62% of family offices is the capability to operate across multiple regions followed by the ability to establish a strong, trusted relationship (58%). This is followed by their technology and reporting proficiency (53%) and then cost (52%).