STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising the Family Business

The course explores what differentiates family businesses from other types of clients; provide students with a deeper understanding of the theories and frameworks that are needed to better understand family business dynamics, and examine common concerns, transitions and difficulties encountered within a family business.    

It is recommended that this programme is studied prior to enrolling for the STEP Advanced Certificate in Family Business Governance. 

This course is awarded in association with Alliance Manchester Business School, the University of Manchester.

You will be able to

• Understand the complexities of working with family businesses
• Analyse family business dynamics, governance issues and sources of conflict
• Apply a range of proven tools to help the family business achieve its objectives
• Demonstrate the skills and knowledge expected of a competent family business adviser operating within the bounds of their own profession of origin

This will, in turn, enhance family business expertise and capabilities within your firm/department, provide you with access to a wider business and professional community of practice, help you to identify business opportunities in this emerging market and increase credibility with prospective clients.

This course is designed for all professionals working with a family business looking to expand in their profession and carry out their role more effectively. 

Students of this course typically include:

• Lawyers/Solicitors/Attorneys
• Accountants
• Financial Planners
• Trust Managers (Senior)
• Wealth Managers
• Tax Advisors
• Compliance Officers/Managers
• Bankers
• Family Office Executives

• Successful completion of the course will award students with 30 Diploma-Level credits towards STEP membership. 
• This course is widely applicable and essential to anyone working with a family business. 
• The programme is not jurisdiction or culturally specific – it has been designed to be accessible for all professions across the world, speaking in a common language so that those from different specialisms can collaborate to better serve their family business clients. 
• Designed, written, and delivered with leading industry experts. 
• The course is subject to the rigorous quality assurance procedures of Manchester Business School, a Faculty of the University of Manchester. 

60 Entry-Level Credits 

Note: Applicants must have obtained 60 STEP Entry-Level credits to enrol onto this course or be a member of STEP. Visit STEP's Qualifications and Membership to understand how to apply. 

This course is available for study twice annually, with intakes beginning in January and July (and assessments taking place in May and November). The programme is delivered online and will take four months to complete. We recommend that you spend four to six hours per week on private study for the four months prior to the assessment.

Enrolment onto this course will include the following:

• access to an online learning platform that contains:
  • interactive e-learning modules comprising a combination of text, videos, podcasts, animations and interactive activities
  • printable versions of the modules and downloadable resources for students to keep following completion of the course
  • self-assessment questions and summative tasks for each module
• assessment fees.

The Advanced Certificate in Advising the Family Business is assessed by way of an end of course written assignment based on a published case study. The case study will be published two months ahead of the submission date. Candidates will produce a written assignment of between 3,500 and 4,000 words to address the questions contained within the case study. Candidates must achieve 50% in order to pass the Advanced Certificate. 

Once you have successfully completed this course, you will gain 30 Diploma-Level credits towards STEP membership and be awarded the STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising the Family Business.

Course Timetable - 2024

Course Timetable - 2025

Please note all courses are delivered fully online. 

Thank you for your interest in CLTI or STEP products. Due to government regulations, we are unable to accept online payments from, or, on behalf of students from certain countries and territories without prior agreement. Please contact us for further details on cltinternational@centlaw.com, +44 (0) 121 362 7733.

This is one of two Advanced Certificates in our Family Business Suite. For students wishing to enrol onto both the STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising the Family Business and Family Business Governance, a discounted package fee is available when purchasing both together– £2,000.00 + UK VAT if applicable (discounted rate for full members of STEP £1,935.00 + UK VAT if applicable).

The fee is fully inclusive of all learning resources, distance learning support and assessment fees.

To purchase both courses, you will need to complete the Interactive Enrolment Form and return to CLTI.