At Custodia Advisory, independence is not a marketing claim — it's the entire premise of what we do. We ask the institutions we work with to demand disclosure and genuine comparison from their legal and fiduciary providers. We hold ourselves to the same standard.
This page sets out how we operate, where our independence comes from, and what we disclose when we make introductions or recommendations.
Transparency & Disclosure
Custodia Advisory operates independently, without commercial ties that would compromise the objectivity of our reviews and recommendations.
We are not paid by the parties whose invoices, guidelines, or fee structures we review. Our fees come solely from the client who engages us, on terms agreed directly with them.
Our independence
Custodia maintains relationships with a number of boutique director, share trustee, compliance, and legal service providers, developed through our work in this industry. Where we facilitate an introduction or meeting between a client and one of these providers:
- We disclose, before any introduction is made, whether Custodia has any commercial relationship with that provider, including any referral arrangement, revenue share, or other form of compensation.
- Where no such arrangement exists, we will state this plainly.
- The decision to engage any introduced provider rests entirely with the client. Custodia does not receive preferential treatment, discounted rates, or any benefit tied to a client's choice of provider.
Provider introductions
How we form our recommendations
Our guidance — whether in a spend audit, an OCG review, or a fiduciary vendor comparison — is based on the evidence in front of us: invoices, engagement terms, billing patterns, and market comparison. We do not shape recommendations to favour any provider, including those we have prior working relationships with.
Where a conflict of interest could reasonably be perceived — for example, a prior professional relationship with a provider under review — we disclose it to the client before beginning that piece of work.
Confidentiality
All client engagements, enquiries, and the findings of any audit or review are treated as strictly confidential. We do not disclose client identities, engagement details, or findings to any third party without the client's express written consent, except where required by law.
Questions
If you have any questions about how we operate, how we're compensated, or whether we have any relationship with a provider under discussion, we encourage you to ask directly. You can reach us at:
Custodia Advisory — oversight that protects the mandate.