Singapore lawyers will soon be able to gain specialised skills in family office advisory through a strategic partnership between the Wealth Management Institute (WMI) and the Law Society of Singapore.
Starting 2026, a “multi-year” training initiative aims to equip Singapore's 6,500 practising lawyers with specialised skills amid the rapid expansion of Singapore's family office landscape.
According to a Sept 26 announcement, wealthy families require “sophisticated guidance” on complex cross-border structures, regulatory compliance and succession planning. Family office legal counsel must also navigate “varied asset portfolios, multiple jurisdictions and intricate family dynamics”, add WMI and the Law Society of Singapore.
WMI will offer “Foundation” and “Advanced” programmes covering topics like family office governance, wealth and succession planning, operations and management, anti-money laundering and compliance, ESG and international tax considerations.
The Edge Singapore has contacted WMI for more information about the two programmes.
Singapore’s family office sector has grown more than five times over five years to exceed 2,000 single-family offices by end-2024. This growth mirrors Singapore's broader wealth management success, with assets under management (AUM) growing 12.2% y-o-y in 2024, surpassing $6 trillion for the first time.
See also: Singapore’s AUM grows 12% to $6.07 tril in 2024; net inflows rebound with 50% y-o-y growth
The certification programme will draw on WMI’s faculty network. It will also be overseen by an “expert panel” with representation from the Law Society of Singapore.
The programme forms part of a broader initiative in continuing professional education (CPE), as all Singapore lawyers are now required to obtain three Mandatory Ethics Component (MEC) points annually.
The certification will be fully accredited by the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore (IBF), making it eligible for IBF Standards Training Scheme (STS) and SkillsFuture funding support.
See also: OCBC launches upskilling programme to train mortgage specialists as wealth advisors
This initiative builds on WMI’s established leadership in family office education through the Global-Asia Family Office (GFO) Circle, launched in 2021 with the support of the Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
The GFO Circle has grown to over 1,400 members, and WMI has recorded over 5,300 enrolments in its family office programmes to date.
Lisa Sam, president of the Law Society of Singapore, emphasised the strategic importance for the legal profession. “As the family office and private wealth advisory space continues to grow, this collaboration provides an important platform to ensure that the legal profession is well-positioned to support Singapore’s broader wealth management ecosystem.”
WMI CEO Foo Mee Har says: “We are honoured to partner with the Law Society of Singapore to further strengthen the nation’s capabilities as Asia’s premier family office hub. Lawyers play an indispensable role in establishing governance frameworks, navigating cross-border legal complexities, managing succession planning, and safeguarding long-term family interests.”
Foo adds: “Robust legal advisory is fundamental to the integrity and sustainability of family office structures. This certification is designed to equip lawyers with the specialised expertise required to serve as trusted advisors in an increasingly complex and globalised family office environment.”
Founded in 2003 by GIC and Temasek, WMI counts over 17,000 annual enrolments in its practice-based certification and diploma programmes. WMI also collaborates with leading universities for Master’s degrees
The Law Society of Singapore is the representative body for all lawyers in Singapore. Established under the Legal Profession Act 1966, it works to uphold the honour and independence of the legal profession, promote the interests of its members, and ensure access to justice by the public.
