Indeed, 48% of those family officials participating in a recent poll conducted by the Family Wealth Alliance said they have received new or additional requests for services from family members in the past two years.

"Most of the services were not investment related and included family meetings, more secure family e-mail, improved client reporting, aircraft services and asset protection," according to the survey by the Wheaton, Ill.-based group.

But besides catering to clients who want new services, family office executives say survival is their biggest concern.

"When simply asked to list their three biggest challenges, concern for the family office's sustainability came out on top," said Thomas R. Livergood, chief executive of the Family Wealth Alliance.

"We note with some significance that this outpaced concern for financial markets by a good margin," he added.
The survey polled 32 firms with collective clients of some 900 households, representing some 2,000 family members. The average office had assets under supervision of $562 million, ranging from $19 million to $1.7 billion.