Identifying and Resolving Risk Concerns For Home and Family Office
Insurance professionals are often the unsung heroes of a client’s inner circle of trusted advisors. Experienced risk managers will immediately introduce their clients to Teresa Leigh Home + Family Office for expert advice and support.
Client Projects We Have Recently Resolved
“A household employee told the employer she hurt herself while working in the home. She wants to take time off from work and wants to be paid for days off. Can the employee be let go if she is not available to work?”
“What is the best way to help homeowners who have domestic workers understand the value of workers’ compensation? Isn’t it a mandatory requirement for homeowners?”
“My client seems to have considerable drama and turnover of their property and house staff. We see this as an expensive and high-risk situation. I was told you are the person to talk to. When can we connect?”
“My client wants to hire a live-in caregiver for their mom. But the mom does not want anyone living in or on her property. My idea is for the employee to have the apartment over the carriage house, but they would have to move out in the summer when the client’s extended family comes to visit. What do you think of this idea?”
“My housekeeper says that after 15 years of working for me with no benefits, she wants a 50% pay raise or she is leaving me for another family. Hiring a new housekeeper would be cheaper wouldn’t it? Can we talk about this?”
“We have several aging clients who are becoming heavily dependent on their older household employees for daily care. Recently an employee seriously hurt her back while trying to lift the homeowner out of the bathtub, resulting in a settlement. What can we do to educate homeowners about these issues?”
“While my husband and I travel, I am certain the staff are using the pool and pool house. How do I tell them they should not be using our pool?”
“I needed an experienced property manager, so I hired a local retired golf course manager. However, after eight months, I really don’t think he understands the job. Can we talk about my options or should I just fire him?”
“My house staff also works at my businesses. I was told by my attorney that my household employees should not be on a company payroll. Where is the risk? What do we do next?”
“I never got around to making reference calls before hiring my personal assistant. He’s been with me for six months and I’m having second thoughts about this hire. I don’t feel I can trust his judgement. What do I do?”
“We would like to understand the difference between online background checks, employment screenings, and background investigations. Is it true these reports do not show worker’s compensation claims or employee terminations with cause?”
“We live in Venice Beach, California. We have several small mom-pop companies that provide services for our property. We recently learned that California views these ‘companies’ as our employees. Is this true?”
“My elderly client lives on a family ranch in a remote area of the country. I am very concerned about the number of employees that seem to come and go from his ‘ranch’. He now tells me several people are living on his property in guest cabins. His sister recently contacted me and voiced her concern about the possibility he has dementia.Can we talk through the risk issues with this situation?”
“Can I place a GPS tracking device on my personal assistant’s SUV? We give her a monthly stipend for errands and pay her mileage, but I think she is exaggerating her mileage number and overcharging us.”
“I just hired a wonderful nanny. We would like to pay her a generous salary and benefits but were told we can’t pay her a salary. What do you think?”
Testimonials
Testimonials
Daniel
SFO Memphis, Tennessee
“Teresa really understands the needs of our families. Over the last four to five years, Teresa has helped us successfully hire six new staff members for our office and properties. Teresa's ability to match candidates to our culture, personality, and skill requirements is remarkably accurate. We have had zero turnover since working with her firm. I would recommend her service to all family offices.“
Pilar
Seattle, Washington
“My husband and I were referred by a dear friend. We were struggling to care for my aging parents while dealing with renovation projects and were positive more than one vendor was double dipping on billing. Teresa and her team prioritized a project list and solved the problems. We even received a refund from a vendor. Thank God for Teresa.”
Margarite
Monterey, California
“Our family office needed guidance on a new position. Teresa introduced us to the perfect chief of staff. We enjoy working with the her and her team—very professional.”
Bob
Lexington, Kentucky, Birmingham, Michigan
“Teresa has helped me more than she will ever know. I will be the first to admit I am not savvy when it comes to hiring and managing people. We have had great success with a number of projects. Excellent service. I refer this firm to all my friends.”
Racine
COO Family Office, Boston, Massachusetts
“Teresa helped us settle a situation with property employees and back wages owed. This was successfully resolved and we retained our employees!Teresa is best at resolving delicate problems with staff. Highly recommend her firm and services.”
Stewart
"I would recommend Teresa to everyone dealing with problematic household or property vendors. She is the best there is on these matters."
Greg
Palo Alto, California, Austin, Texas
“We have worked with Teresa for a little over eight years. We started with two homes and bought a ranch in Southern California. Teresa stepped into our lives, hired staff, created structure, and streamlined the accounting and communication processes. Teresa is a lifesaver. Her sincerity, sensitivity, and guidance are unparalleled.”
Antonio
"I am grateful every day for the wonderful help Ms. Leigh has brought into my life. She has helped me to hire a bookkeeper, a personal assistant, a nanny for my daughter and made organization of all my life. I am blessed beyond words to know her and to recommend her magnificent skills."
Edward
Princeton, New Jersey
“Teresa offers us a safe place to talk through a variety of topics. We call her for insight, candor, and problem solving. My brother and I highly recommend Teresa. You’ll be in good hands.”
Stevie
Venice Beach, California
“I’ve successfully worked with Teresa for many years. She is a great listener and her counsel is always on target. I really enjoy working with her."
Alana
Big Sky-Bozeman, Montana, Portland, Oregon
“I love working with Teresa and her team, a highly professional group. We have been working with Teresa 11 years plus and would highly recommend their service.”
William and Suzanna
Austin, Texas
“After my mother's debilitating stroke and my dad lost the car, we had no clue how to manage our parents care options. Teresa listened to our heartache, made sense of all the chaos, and provided quick solutions we were happy with. Very grateful for this wonderful service.”
Sam
Boca Raton, Florida
“New houses, cars, crazy life—I needed help putting it all together. Management of people and projects ain't my thing. Teresa made it easy for me, and I can’t say enough good words about her. She is the best.”
Dorena
St. Augustine, Florida, Brooklyn, New York
“This is the best advisory service. Teresa is there when I need her, listening, lowering the stress level, so I can focus on creating a peaceful household for my family.”
Candace
"Teresa is a life saver. She helped my husband and I resolve a number of sensitive staffing and vendor issues. Teresa is very easy to work with; we love working with her."
Sarah
Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Montecito, California
“My husband and I were referred to Teresa by our wealth advisor. We have a remote property with house and farm helpers. Since we hired Teresa in 2014, the turnover has stopped. We love working with her!”
Annette
"We are so grateful for Teresa; having her as our advisor over the past few years has been a true gift and an amazing asset to our family office. Her years of knowledge and hands-on experience have assisted us greatly in the efficiency of our household staff and private estate management. We immediately developed a great rapport and partnership, and it’s only strengthened over the years. No matter the issue and/or concern, Teresa Leigh is always our first call and the expert on helping resolve the problem."
Elizabeth
Fort Worth, Texas
“I trust all my household property issues to Teresa. She is a gem to work with. Teresa listens and gives me a new way to communicate. It has been very effective, and my staff seems happier than ever. We've been working together for over 12 years. I highly recommend her service.”
Colleen
Scottsdale, Arizona Baja, California
“Teresa solved a complicated vendor over-billing problem. Teresa's office contacted the vendor on our behalf and resolved the issue in less than two weeks. A highly effective and professional team."
Beth
"The family office I work for hired Teresa for an elderly family member in need of complex care. The family was overjoyed with her service and her sensitivity. All of us would happily recommend Teresa."
Stephen
Founder-Family Office, Denver, Colorado
“We have had great success with a number of complex family office staffing issues. Teresa has a remarkable way of listening and getting straight to identifying the problem and presenting us a quick solution. Truly remarkable skills.”
Rome
Miami, Florida
“A word to describe Teresa is one badass advisor. There is no bull sh*t with her guidance. It's full-on straight talk. Teresa has successfully problem-solved the sh*t out of everything I have ever sent her. I would highly recommend contacting her.”
Elva
Racine, Wisconsin
"Teresa thankfully came into my life just after the loss of my husband. I appreciate all she has done for me and my extended family. Teresa is a very knowledgeable and kind person."
Andre
Atlanta, Georgia
“Teresa is so easy and chill to talk with. She makes life easier for me and my kids. I would offer a recommendation of her advisory service to every family."
Dianna
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Greenwich, Connecticut, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
“I am so thankful for Teresa's counsel. Her guidance on our projects was and is fantastic. She has a ‘spidey sense’ that is marvelously accurate. We would recommend Teresa to anyone seeking an honest form of expertise and empathy.”
Susan
Portland Oregon, Reno, Nevada
“My word, where do I begin? Teresa has worked as an advisor for our family for over 15 years. She is wonderful at listening and understanding my problems; sometimes I can’t even vocalize them myself. An emotional issue we dealt with recently—my mom was doing great at the age of 81 and then she wasn’t. Teresa helped us to hire a full-time care team and communicated all the details with our family office. I thank God every day for her being in our lives.”
Holland and Abbie
"Our family is huge with a never-ending list of projects. Teresa can quickly get to the heart of an issue. She provided us with life-changing insights into staff and vendor relationships that were truly enlightening! We respect her guidance and recommend her to our friends and colleagues."
Betsy
"We have worked successfully with Teresa Leigh since early 2018. She is the expert advisor we needed on our team. She is amazing—recommend highly."
Sofia
"Teresa helped us get organized after we sold our company. We purchased a large working ranch, a beach house, and a tree house. Teresa managed all of our hires and payroll. Her team created a preferred vendors' list for each location and made a brilliant introduction to a celebrity horse trainer. This firm is truly best in class."
Barton
Hilton Head, South Carolina
“I would recommend this firm to anyone with a home who does not want the worry of making decisions all on their own. Call Teresa; she will make your life so much easier.”
Testimonials are direct quotes from our clients, however their likeness and names are confidential
Testimonials
Elizabeth
Fort Worth, Texas
“I trust all my household property issues to Teresa. She is a gem to work with. Teresa listens and gives me a new way to communicate. It has been very effective, and my staff seems happier than ever. We've been working together for over 12 years. I highly recommend her service.”
Richard
Ann Arbor, Michigan
“Great firm. We had just acquired a large property out of state and needed help with all kinds of things. Teresa's counsel was dead on and gave us immediate direction for next steps. We have continued to engage services for over 10 years.”
Rome
Miami, Florida
“A word to describe Teresa is one badass advisor. There is no bull sh*t with her guidance. It's full-on straight talk. Teresa has successfully problem-solved the sh*t out of everything I have ever sent her. I would highly recommend contacting her.”
Racine
COO Family Office, Boston, Massachusetts
“Teresa helped us settle a situation with property employees and back wages owed. This was successfully resolved and we retained our employees!Teresa is best at resolving delicate problems with staff. Highly recommend her firm and services.”
Edward
Princeton, New Jersey
“Teresa offers us a safe place to talk through a variety of topics. We call her for insight, candor, and problem solving. My brother and I highly recommend Teresa. You’ll be in good hands.”
Anna
Long Island, New York
“Teresa is such a blessing to me and my late husband. I call on her for household property things, house staff, or if we need a local vendor. My family office hired Teresa as an advisor for other family members. I would definitely refer her company.”
Betsy
"We have worked successfully with Teresa Leigh since early 2018. She is the expert advisor we needed on our team. She is amazing—recommend highly."
William and Suzanna
Austin, Texas
“After my mother's debilitating stroke and my dad lost the car, we had no clue how to manage our parents care options. Teresa listened to our heartache, made sense of all the chaos, and provided quick solutions we were happy with. Very grateful for this wonderful service.”
Birgit
Nashville, Tennessee
“My family office recommended Teresa. We have worked together on projects over the last 12 years. We value her advice. She is super chill to talk with. It’s a little like therapy, a pep talk, and problem solving all put together. I thoroughly enjoy our time together and look forward to our next Zoom call.”
Sarah
Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Montecito, California
“My husband and I were referred to Teresa by our wealth advisor. We have a remote property with house and farm helpers. Since we hired Teresa in 2014, the turnover has stopped. We love working with her!”
Holland and Abbie
"Our family is huge with a never-ending list of projects. Teresa can quickly get to the heart of an issue. She provided us with life-changing insights into staff and vendor relationships that were truly enlightening! We respect her guidance and recommend her to our friends and colleagues."
Anna
Matriarch of SFO, Cincinnati, Ohio
“Teresa has worked for me and my family office for over 11 years. We first hired her to help us resolve a rather unfortunate staff termination. It was mission accomplished in quick time minus the drama. Teresa is one of the family and knows us so well. My family and I would with great honor recommend her service.”
Stevie
Venice Beach, California
“I’ve successfully worked with Teresa for many years. She is a great listener and her counsel is always on target. I really enjoy working with her."
Margarite
Monterey, California
“Our family office needed guidance on a new position. Teresa introduced us to the perfect chief of staff. We enjoy working with the her and her team—very professional.”
Barton
Hilton Head, South Carolina
“I would recommend this firm to anyone with a home who does not want the worry of making decisions all on their own. Call Teresa; she will make your life so much easier.”
Colin
New York, New York & Dublin, Ireland
“Teresa's advisory service is my favorite—hands down the best. They manage everything and make it look easy.”
Beth
"The family office I work for hired Teresa for an elderly family member in need of complex care. The family was overjoyed with her service and her sensitivity. All of us would happily recommend Teresa."
Sofia
"Teresa helped us get organized after we sold our company. We purchased a large working ranch, a beach house, and a tree house. Teresa managed all of our hires and payroll. Her team created a preferred vendors' list for each location and made a brilliant introduction to a celebrity horse trainer. This firm is truly best in class."
Dorena
St. Augustine, Florida, Brooklyn, New York
“This is the best advisory service. Teresa is there when I need her, listening, lowering the stress level, so I can focus on creating a peaceful household for my family.”
Beatrice
SFO Mountain View, California
“Teresa Leigh is one of the best advisors our office has ever hired. Her counsel is incredibly helpful and offers us a new perspective. Our family office has five high-profile families with multiple homes all over the world. Our team would strongly endorse Teresa’s expertise.”
Bradley
San Francisco, California, Seattle, Washington
“Hands down the best advisor I have ever hired. They have helped me and my husband for over 11 years. Teresa and her team are truly unique in their ability to expedite flawlessly all the projects I send them. Teresa Leigh is my go-to advisor for home, vendors, and employees.”
Baneeta
"My husband and I are really low-key people but we love, love big houses. Fast forward two houses and a vacation condo later, and I didn't know it took so much of my day to be dealing with service vendors and scheduling their appointments. Teresa helped me understand either I am doing it or I need to hire someone to help me. We hired the staff she suggested, and we live a better life for it. Teresa is fabulous!"
Robert
CFO Family Office, Atlanta, Georgia
"Our family office hit the jackpot when we hired Teresa's firm. I would wholeheartedly recommend this firm."
Sam
Boca Raton, Florida
“New houses, cars, crazy life—I needed help putting it all together. Management of people and projects ain't my thing. Teresa made it easy for me, and I can’t say enough good words about her. She is the best.”
Colleen
Scottsdale, Arizona Baja, California
“Teresa solved a complicated vendor over-billing problem. Teresa's office contacted the vendor on our behalf and resolved the issue in less than two weeks. A highly effective and professional team."
Greg
Palo Alto, California, Austin, Texas
“We have worked with Teresa for a little over eight years. We started with two homes and bought a ranch in Southern California. Teresa stepped into our lives, hired staff, created structure, and streamlined the accounting and communication processes. Teresa is a lifesaver. Her sincerity, sensitivity, and guidance are unparalleled.”
Raymond
"This firm is my first call for all things home and life. Teresa is exceptional at making sense of employee relationships. I'll be the first one to make a referral."
Abigale
Richmond, Virginia, Fort Worth, Texas, Cumberland, Maine
“Teresa is our advisor and guidepost, providing practical solutions for our family office staff and vendors. She is a master at navigating important relationships. My family and I highly recommend this firm—very easy to work with.”
Maureen
"Hiring Teresa's firm in 2016 was the best decision I ever made for our family office. Teresa is fantastic. We would recommend her firm to every family or family office."
Jamal
"Now that I have the best advisor I could have asked for, my complicated life is a lot less stressful. I love working with Teresa."
Testimonials are direct quotes from our clients, however their likeness and names are confidential
