The Three Stages of Comprehensive Legacy Planning
A Proven Framework for Guiding Families with Clarity and Care
Legacy coaching isn’t a one-time conversation or a checklist to complete. It’s a relationship—and like any meaningful relationship, it grows in stages.
Over the years, I’ve developed and refined a three-stage process that helps families move from uncertainty to clarity, from scattered intentions to aligned purpose. It’s a progression that works—when followed with care, patience, and trust.
Here’s an overview of the three stages that shape every Legacy Coaching engagement.
Stage 1: Family Legacy Review
This is where it all begins. Before diving into strategies or solutions, I spend time getting to know the family—building trust and understanding their story. Once we’ve established that foundation, we explore the family’s current reality using a FAMILY review:
F.A.M.I.L.Y.
A comprehensive snapshot of a family’s financial and legacy position
- Financial Statements – Includes balance sheets, income statements, and net worth overview.
- Assets Under Management – Investments, retirement accounts, business interests, and property.
- Mandatory Documents – Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and other legal documents.
- Insurance Coverage – Life, long-term care, disability, and liability protections.
- Liabilities & Taxes – Outstanding debts, tax returns, and potential estate tax exposure.
- Yearly Cash Flow – Income sources, budgeting, and spending patterns.
With this financial picture in place, we begin to ask the big questions: What are your goals for managing and distributing your assets? What legacy do you want to leave—financially, relationally, and spiritually? The gaps between where the family is and where they want to go become clear, and we begin mapping a path forward.
Stage 2: Strategy Development & Implementation
This is where plans begin to take shape. I collaborate with other trusted advisors—attorneys, CPAs, financial planners—to design a strategy tailored to the family’s goals. Together, we work to close the gaps identified in Stage 1.
But this stage is about more than documents and numbers. It’s where the emotional and relational dynamics often surface. Many clients have never discussed their wealth openly with their children. Facilitating those conversations—often for the first time—is one of the most important things I do.
Stage 3: Ongoing Monitoring
Legacy planning isn’t a “set it and forget it” endeavor. Life changes. Relationships shift. Laws evolve. And the needs of each generation grow with time.
That’s why ongoing monitoring is essential. Some clients I’ve walked with for more than a decade. The decisions they weren’t ready for five years ago? They’re ready now. And as their coach, I stay with them—helping navigate new territory and uncover opportunities for continued alignment.
This three-stage process isn’t just a framework—it’s a relationship roadmap. As a legacy coach, your role isn’t finished when the plan is written. It continues through every season of change, challenge, and growth.
Stick with them. Build something that lasts. That’s the heart of legacy by design.
