Enhancing your wealth over the long term
Contact & Help
We would encourage you to contact your adviser, preferably by phone or secure mail, or make arrangements in advance for a meeting.
Our teams are readily available to assist you and personally respond to any special requirements or questions you may have.
Contact
We have taken all the necessary health and safety precautions in order to ensure continuous service. Where possible, please contact us by phone or via our secure digital channels. If you would like speak to your adviser, we recommend making an appointment in advance.
Wallonie - Brussels
Chaussée de La Hulpe, 120 – 1000 Brussels
FLANDERS
Kortrijksesteenweg 218 – 9830 Sint-Martens-Latem
When it comes to making decisions about passing on wealth, there are broader questions to consider, beyond the strict details of the assets. That's why the estate planning experts give priority to bringing the whole family around the table as a first step, and why we don't shy away from asking difficult questions. But transparently – and with a healthy dose of psychology.
“Our holistic approach involves all the family. It means taking the time to listen to each person’s needs: parents and grandparents, where the concern is to guarantee their future income, or children and grandchildren, where the goal is to optimise their inheritance”, explains Christophe Delanghe, Senior Estate Planner. “We listen to individual wishes and needs to arrive at the right solution for everyone involved. Good estate planning should unite families, and not divide. On the part of the estate planner, this requires expertise, discretion – and real psychological skills!”
It also calls for trust and openness from the client, adds Bernard Goffaux, Head of Estate Planning at Banque de Luxembourg Belgium: “Clients can find it difficult to discuss their assets with us, possibly because they deal with another bank. So our role is to reassure them and make clear it’s in their best interests to lay their cards on the table. Our role is to help and advise. If it puts our client’s mind at rest, we’re also open to working with an intermediary, such as a lawyer or notary.”
We attend family council meetings several times a year, where we discuss the bigger picture and address issues not directly concerned with the estate. This openness is one of the hallmarks of our profession. Bernard Goffaux, Responsable Estate Planning at Banque de Luxembourg Belgium.
Openness and trust
It is critical for estate planners to earn not just the trust of the client, but also of all the generations in the family. “And that can take time”, says Christophe Delanghe. “How often do we hear: ‘our children are busy; they can't get make it’. So, we might hold several meetings. We like to have contact with each of the children to explain the what and why of the plan.”
“Clients often come to us with broader questions, beyond strictly tax issues”, continues Bernard Goffaux. “Estate planning is about people and that’s why our services are so wide-ranging – and why trust is so important. With some clients, we attend family council meetings several times a year, where we discuss the bigger picture and address issues not directly concerned with the estate. This openness is one of the hallmarks of our profession.”
Extrajudicial power of attorney
Estate planning extends beyond protecting assets to protecting the individual. “We sometimes address the question of an extrajudicial power of attorney with our clients to plan ahead for how to manage the assets and other personal needs if someone becomes incapable of handling their own affairs”, adds Christophe Delanghe. “The idea is to ensure continuity, to make arrangements for the estate and the individual, should they be become incapacitated. Because failing to look ahead and plan can lead to tensions in the family. It’s our role to stress the importance of these broader aspects, even if they they're not strictly related to the estate.”
Our specialists can assist you with all your questions relating to tax and wealth
“Our holistic approach involves all the family. It means taking the time to listen to each person’s needs: parents and grandparents, where the concern is to guarantee their future income, or children and grandchildren, where the goal is to optimise their inheritance”, explains Stefania Bidoli, Tax Adviser. “We listen to individual wishes and needs to arrive at the right solution for everyone involved. Good estate planning should unite families, and not divide. On the part of the estate planner, this requires expertise, discretion – and real psychological skills!”
It also calls for trust and openness from the client, adds Anne-Lise Grandjean, Tax Adviser & Estate Planner at Banque de Luxembourg: “Clients can find it difficult to discuss their assets with us, possibly because they deal with another bank. So our role is to reassure them and make clear it’s in their best interests to lay their cards on the table. Our role is to help and advise. If it puts our client’s mind at rest, we’re also open to working with an intermediary, such as a lawyer or notary.”
We attend family council meetings several times a year, where we discuss the bigger picture and address issues not directly concerned with the estate. This openness is one of the hallmarks of our profession. Anne-Lise Grandjean, Tax Adviser & Estate Planner.
Openness and trust
It is critical for estate planners to earn not just the trust of the client, but also of all the generations in the family. “And that can take time”, says Stefania Bidoli. “How often do we hear: ‘our children are busy; they can't get make it’. So, we might hold several meetings. We like to have contact with each of the children to explain the what and why of the plan.”
“Clients often come to us with broader questions, beyond strictly tax issues”, continues Anne-Lise Grandjean. “Estate planning is about people and that’s why our services are so wide-ranging – and why trust is so important. With some clients, we attend family council meetings several times a year, where we discuss the bigger picture and address issues not directly concerned with the estate. This openness is one of the hallmarks of our profession.”
Protecting the individual
Estate planning extends beyond protecting assets to protecting the individual. “We sometimes address with our clients how to plan ahead and the options available to them for managing the assets and other personal needs if someone becomes incapable of handling their own affairs”, adds Stefania Bidoli. “The idea is to ensure continuity, to make arrangements for the estate and the individual, should they be become incapacitated. Because failing to look ahead and plan can lead to tensions in the family. It’s our role to stress the importance of these broader aspects, even if they they're not strictly related to the estate.”
Enhancing your wealth over the long term
