The Missing Piece in Estate Planning: Protecting Your Family Stories
Estimated Reading Time: 5-6 minutes
A client once told me she would give anything to hear her grandmother’s voice again. Her grandmother had been the heart of the family—the one who told stories of surviving the Great Depression and falling in love with her husband. But when she passed away, those stories went with her. They had never been written down or recorded, and an entire chapter of family history vanished.
This happens every day. Recipes, traditions, lessons, and memories disappear when the storytellers are gone. But it doesn’t have to happen in your family. You can capture those priceless stories and turn them into a legacy that guides and connects future generations.
Why Family Stories Belong in Your Estate Plan
Family stories aren’t just entertainment around the dinner table. They are:
- A way to pass on values, resilience, and identity
- Proof that joy, courage, and perseverance carry through generations
- Blueprints for how your children and grandchildren face challenges
When these stories are preserved, your estate plan becomes more than paperwork. It becomes meaningful. Your family will understand not only what you left them, but why.
How We Preserve Stories in Life & Legacy Planning®
Too many projects—journals, recordings, albums—end up forgotten on shelves.
That’s why my Life & Legacy Planning® process includes a Life & Legacy Interview.
- We record your stories, values, and wisdom in your own words and voice.
- Your family hears your laughter, lessons, and love directly from you.
- If you’re part of our FamilyCare Program, we add new interviews each year, building a growing library of memories.
For many clients, this interview becomes the most meaningful part of planning—the piece that turns legal documents into a living legacy.
Questions That Unlock Meaningful Stories
The best stories come from deeper questions:
- Childhood: “What memory still guides your decisions today?”
- Relationships: “What did you learn about love from your parents?”
- Hard times: “What challenge made us stronger as a family?”
- Values: “If you could pass on three lessons, what would they be?”
- Everyday life: “What little traditions made your family feel like family?”
- Future: “What should our family always stand for?”
These are the kinds of questions I ask during your
Life & Legacy Interview—so nothing is missed, forgotten, or lost.
More Than Money: Building a Legacy That Lasts
Estate planning often focuses on passing money and property. But money without meaning rarely lasts. Families that thrive across generations share:
- Strong values
- Clear identity
- Stories that remind them who they are
Life & Legacy Planning Session® goes beyond transferring assets. It preserves the why—your wisdom, love, and intentions—so your family can carry it forward.
Take Action Today
Stories don’t preserve themselves. Every day you wait is another day something could be lost.
Your next step: schedule a Life & Legacy Planning Session®. In this working session, you will:
- See clearly what would happen if something happened to you today
- Create a complete inventory of your assets
- Explore your family values and goals to design a plan that reflects what matters most
- Choose the right plan for your needs and budget
Most people leave this session more organized and relieved than they imagined possible. And they leave knowing they’ve done the right thing for the people they love.
Preserve your stories and protect your people.
📆Schedule a 15 minute call with April, our Client Services Director, to get started.
