WEALTH MANAGEMENT|FINANCIAL PLANNING
Estate & Legacy Planning
Protect what you've built and ensure it reaches the right people.
Book Your Free Strategy CallHaving a will alone is often insufficient. Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and insurance policies override a will — and outdated designations can redirect significant assets to unintended recipients.
The Problem
Estate mistakes often don't surface until after a loss.
Heirloom proactively reviews account ownership and beneficiary designations during major life events to prevent the most common estate planning mistakes.
Common estate planning errors:
- Beneficiary designations that haven't been updated after divorce, death, or birth
- Account titling that conflicts with estate documents
- No plan for blended families or special needs beneficiaries
Legacy goals beyond asset transfer:
- Supporting family members, funding education, or leaving a lasting charitable impact
- Ensuring documents are current and reflect actual intentions after major life changes
- Connecting estate planning to the broader wealth and retirement strategy
Heirloom's Approach to Estate & Legacy Planning
Heirloom works alongside estate attorneys to implement legal structures while keeping the financial plan aligned with your broader wealth and legacy intentions.
Our Approach
1. Document & Beneficiary Review
We audit:
- Existing wills, trusts, and power of attorney documents
- Account ownership and titling across all financial accounts
- Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and insurance policies
- Healthcare directives and guardianship designations
Identifying outdated information that could redirect assets to unintended recipients.
Our Approach
2. Life Events Checkpoints
We proactively review at:
- Marriage or divorce
- Birth of children or grandchildren
- Death of a spouse, parent, or named beneficiary
- Significant changes in asset levels or account structure
- Business sale or liquidity event
We review at these milestones rather than waiting for problems to surface.
Our Approach
3. Structure Assessment
We evaluate whether the following are appropriate:
- Revocable or irrevocable trusts
- Titling strategies for jointly held or community property assets
- Special needs planning for dependent beneficiaries
- Generation-skipping structures for multi-generational wealth transfer
Our Approach
4. Attorney Coordination
Heirloom works alongside estate attorneys to:
- Implement legal structures that reflect your actual intentions
- Ensure financial accounts are titled correctly to align with estate documents
- Coordinate beneficiary designations with the overall estate plan
- Keep documents current as laws and personal circumstances change
What Proactive Estate Planning Delivers
Clients who complete a proactive estate planning review with Heirloom typically experience greater confidence that their intentions will be carried out as planned.
Documents That Reflect Your Actual Intentions
- Wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations reviewed and current
- Account ownership aligned with estate documents
- No unintended asset redirection due to outdated information
Protection for the People You Care About
- Beneficiaries correctly designated on all accounts and policies
- Special needs, minor, or blended-family situations addressed appropriately
- Healthcare directives and power of attorney in place and current
Integration With the Financial Plan
- Estate documents connected to investment, tax, and retirement strategy
- Legacy goals reflected in the broader financial plan — not just in a will
- Charitable intent documented and integrated with giving strategy
Ongoing Vigilance
- Proactive review at every major life event — not just when asked
- Attorney coordination to implement changes efficiently
- Estate documents that evolve alongside your life and assets
Is Estate & Legacy Planning Right For You?
This service is especially valuable for:
Clients with outdated documents
Who haven't reviewed estate documents since a major life event — marriage, divorce, birth, or death.
Blended families or special needs beneficiaries
With complex family structures that require careful planning to ensure assets reach intended recipients.
Clients with significant assets
Whose beneficiary designations may not reflect their current intentions or estate planning goals.
A proactive review now can prevent costly and painful outcomes for the people you care about most.
Legacy planning extends beyond asset transfer: supporting family, funding education, or leaving a lasting impact on causes that matter to you.
Schedule A Strategy Session with Our Team
This initial conversation is designed to understand your goals, current situation, and priorities. No sales pitch — just a focused conversation about where you are and where you want to go.