Legacy & Estate Planning

Building wealth is only half the equation. What happens to it — and to the people who depend on it — when you're no longer here to manage it matters just as much. Estate planning and legacy planning are how you answer that question deliberately, while you have the clarity and time to get it right. We consider it a core part of every client relationship, not a checkbox you handle once and forget.

For most clients, the starting point is ensuring the foundational documents are in place. Through Trust & Will — a leading online estate planning platform — we can help you create a will, trust, healthcare directive, and powers of attorney efficiently and affordably, right alongside your financial advice. These are state-specific, attorney-reviewed documents, and having them handled through our planning process means no more delays, no separate appointments, and no guesswork about whether your wishes are actually protected.

When your situation calls for something more — such as blended families, significant assets, business interests, or sophisticated trust structures — we work directly with a trusted local estate attorney who specializes in this area. The difference from a typical referral is that your advisor stays involved throughout, ensuring the legal documents drafted are fully aligned with your broader financial strategy. We revisit your estate plan alongside your financial plan regularly, because the document you signed years ago may no longer reflect the life you're living today.

Common pain points include no documents in place or outdated ones that no longer reflect current wishes or family structure; estate documents drafted without any knowledge of your financial plan; beneficiary designations on accounts that contradict the will; no clear plan for who manages finances or healthcare decisions if you're incapacitated; and complex family dynamics — like blended families or special needs dependents — left unaddressed. Additionally, business owners often lack a succession plan tied to their personal estate strategy.

How our structure solves these issues includes core documents prepared through Trust & Will that are accessible, state-specific, and attorney-reviewed; your advisor and estate counsel working from the same complete picture of your finances; beneficiary designations reviewed and reconciled as part of every planning review; proactive addressing of healthcare POA, financial POA, and living wills — not during a crisis; access to a specialized estate attorney for trusts, complex family situations, and multi-generational planning; and regular revisits of your estate plan alongside your financial plan as your life evolves.

Two paths, one coordinated team:

Core documents are handled through Trust & Will, with state-specific, attorney-reviewed documents prepared efficiently as part of your financial plan, including a last will & testament, revocable living trust, financial power of attorney, healthcare power of attorney, and living will/advance directive.

Complex planning is referred to our estate attorney for custom legal work for clients with nuanced circumstances, closely coordinated with your advisor. This encompasses irrevocable trusts & advanced structures, blended family & special needs planning, business succession integration, multi-generational wealth transfer, and estate tax minimization strategies.

A note on referrals: When your situation necessitates an outside estate attorney, we don't simply hand you a name and step back. Your advisor remains involved throughout to ensure the attorney has full context on your financial plan, allowing for what gets drafted to be truly aligned with your goals. The result is seamless coordination, not a handoff.