Your Clients’ Legacies: How Do They Want to Be Remembered?

As trusted advisors, we often discuss with our clients all aspects of the future, whether it be their financial future, the future support of their loved ones, or what the future will look like when they are no longer a part of it.

As Thomas Campbell, physicist and the author of My Big TOE, once said, “To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.” When we lose a loved one, we often have memories of special events and occasions, the support they provided us, or specific qualities of that person we will never forget. Contemplating the lives of loved ones can beg the question, “How do I want to be remembered?” What would I want to be written on my epitaph? These questions can be a gentle and meaningful reminder of the impermanent nature of life and the importance of estate planning.

An Estate Plan Can Help Them Be Remembered

In the rush and routine of daily life, it can be easy to postpone essential matters like estate planning. Now is a great opportunity for clients to pause and consider the importance of ensuring that their wishes, the things they own, and their legacies are handled according to their preferences after they depart from this world. Your clients may be surprised to learn more about the ways that they can incorporate their own desired epitaph into the planning process.

Trust Can Help Your Clients Guide Their Loved Ones

While it is true that a trust is a valuable estate planning tool, it is much more than that. A trust can memorialize your client’s values and aspirations for their loved ones. By incorporating provisions that incentivize beneficiaries to pursue an education, hone a new craft, contribute to the community through volunteering, or even embark on entrepreneurial ventures, your clients can craft a legacy of encouragement, motivation, and support. Their trust can become a continuation of their presence, guiding their beneficiaries in ways that align with their wishes and vision for their future.

A Trust Keeps Your Client Part of Memorable Experiences

For those clients who cherish experiences and the creation of lasting memories, it can be invaluable to incorporate clauses within their trust that allocate money specifically for ventures like traveling, exploring new places, or even family reunions and celebrations of important events. These provisions not only facilitate experiences but also foster a deeper connection, ensuring that their family bonds remain strong even in their absence.

A Trust Can Provide Monetary Support

An estate plan is a powerful tool that can reflect your clients’ dedication and commitment to the well-being and success of their loved ones. For those who have provided financial support to loved ones in their lifetime, their estate plan offers them an opportunity to define and detail the nature and extent of their continued monetary support. Through meticulous planning, they can be remembered not just for the wealth they have accumulated but also for the love, care, and foresight indicated by the provisions incorporated in their plan.

Now Is the Perfect Time for Clients to Start Planning

The upcoming new year creates an opportunity for clients to proactively engage in the estate planning process and provide them with both peace of mind as well as clarity and ease for their loved ones in the future. This can help ensure that your client’s desires, whether about the distribution of their hard-earned money and property, funeral arrangements, or messages to their loved ones, are clearly articulated and legally secure.

Let Gunderson Law Group help your clients embark on the crucial journey of estate planning, ensuring that their legacy is honored and that their loved ones are spared unnecessary difficulties in honoring your clients’ lives and wishes for the future.