Governance & Board Structure
A Family Constitution the Whole Family Actually Agrees To
We facilitate, not dictate. Every clause is shaped through structured family dialogue, so the document reflects genuine consensus rather than a template.
What is a family constitution?
A family constitution — also called a family charter — is a written agreement setting out how a business-owning family makes decisions: who may own shares, who may work in the business, how dividends are set, and how disputes are resolved. It is adopted by consensus rather than imposed.
How We Advise on Family Constitutions
01 — Facilitated Family Dialogue
Structured sessions that surface real concerns before they become clauses. The disagreements a charter exists to settle are rarely raised voluntarily; they emerge only when the conversation is designed to allow them.
02 — Drafting the Charter
Clear rules for ownership, entry and exit, employment, dividends and dispute resolution. The language is kept plain enough that a family member can read it once and know exactly where they stand.
03 — Ratification & Living Review
A signed, adopted document with a built-in cycle for revisiting it as the family grows. A charter with no review date becomes inaccurate the moment the family changes, and inaccurate documents stop being used.
Who this is for
- Founders planning ahead
- Families without a written charter
- Families revising an outdated or unused constitution
Our Process
Family Dialogue
Structured sessions to surface concerns and establish common ground.
Charter Drafting
Translating agreement into clear, workable written rules.
Review & Refinement
Circulating drafts and resolving the differences that remain.
Ratification & Review Cycle
Formal adoption, with a scheduled cycle for revisiting it.
Have a question?
Answers to what business-owning families most often ask before their first conversation with us.
Most cover ownership and share transfer rules, who may work in the business and on what terms, dividend policy, the composition and authority of family bodies, and a dispute-resolution mechanism. Scope should match the family's size and stage — a first-generation family needs far less than a fourth-generation one.
Through facilitated dialogue rather than drafting in isolation. Sessions surface each branch's expectations, agreement is built in the room, and only then is language drafted. Saudi charters must also account for Sharia inheritance principles and Companies Law requirements, which shape what the document can and cannot alter.
Generally not in itself. A family constitution is a moral and governance agreement, and its authority comes from consensus. Binding effect is achieved by reflecting its provisions in instruments that are enforceable — shareholders' agreements, company bylaws, and estate arrangements.
Start Your Family Constitution Process
Every conversation is confidential. Nothing discussed leaves the room.