Legacy Family Considerations

How people leave their wealth often says more about who they are (were) than how they used their wealth during their lifetime.

1. If you were examining your family 20 years after your passing, what has to have happened in order for you to be happy with your planning?
2. What is the purpose of your wealth?
3. How do you keep your wealth from poisoning your worth?
4. How will your wealth be used to increase the human, social, and intellectual capital of your family?
5. How much is enough? For you? For your family?
6. What do you want to guarantee to you, and then to your children?
   1. What capital will it take to guarantee what you need?
   2. What capital will it take to guarantee what your children are to receive?
7. What do you really want for your children and grandchildren?
8. How do you provide tools instead of toys?
9. What do your children (grandchildren) really want for themselves?
10. How can you empower children to reach their dreams?
11. Are you in agreement with your partner regarding family planning options?
12. Do you have a coordinated brain trust of multidisciplinary advisors?
13. Do your advisors provide qualitative and quantitative data?
14. Are equal and fair always the same in inheritance matters?
15. Are family members entitled to greater ownership of the family business because of being family members?
16. How will you deal with shared assets?
17. How will you protect assets from creditors and divorce?
18. If there were no estate tax, what would you leave to your family?
19. Does your estate plan reinforce core values you esteem, or does it just deal with the stuff?
20. Will your plan encourage your children to acquire their own wealth or just consume yours? (Are you pumping out too much too early?)
21. Will the date of your death become the date of your heirs retirement?
22. Are the chosen trustees qualified and prepared: financially? Emotionally? And do they have the time required to manage and complete your plan?
23. Are your wishes and intents clearly documented?
24. Will the choice of a trustee help to bind or to disrupt the family? (Might it be better to have a non family member, or institution, serve as trustee?)
25. Are you giving lifetime gifts that create opportunities, but don’t remove challenges?
26. Are you considering transfers at death that reward effort and accomplishment?