How Wealth Advisors Can Help Clients Start Legacy Work
One of the hardest parts of legacy planning isn’t the conversation itself.
It’s simply getting started.
Families are busy. Advisors are busy. There’s more information, more noise, and more competing priorities than ever. Legacy feels important—but also big, abstract, and hard to pin down.
As a result, even clients who genuinely care about what they leave behind often delay the work.
This creates a familiar tension for wealth advisors.
Clients want to think beyond the balance sheet.
Advisors see the long-term value of helping them do it.
But knowing how to begin is often the barrier.
Legacy Work Starts Best When the First Step Is Small
Over time, we’ve tested hundreds of ways to help families begin meaningful conversations about legacy. The conclusion is simple:
Legacy planning begins best when the first step is small, personal, and clear.
That first step is often defining Values and Purpose.
It’s concrete enough to feel real.
It’s meaningful enough to matter.
And it’s simple enough that clients will actually do it.
When a client defines their personal Values and Purpose, something shifts. They stop thinking about legacy in theory and start engaging with it in practice. That shift is what makes the rest possible.
Why the First Step Matters
Legacy is not a single decision or checklist item. It’s a process that unfolds over years.
But no process moves forward without a beginning.
When clients define what matters to them and why, they gain clarity. That clarity creates confidence—and opens space for more honest, grounded conversations.
From the advisor’s perspective, this step changes everything:
It gives clients shared language
It gives advisors critical context
It builds momentum for legacy conversations over time
And most importantly, it does all of this without requiring a major time investment.
A Simple Starting Point: Values and Purpose in FamilyOS
Inside FamilyOS by Total Family, clients can define their personal Values and Purpose in about 12–15 minutes.
There’s no test. No scoring. No “right” answers.
Just structured reflection that fits into real life.
That time commitment is intentional.
If someone isn’t willing to invest 15 minutes, they likely aren’t ready for deeper legacy work—and that’s okay. Legacy isn’t for everyone at every moment.
But when clients are ready, this short exercise creates a meaningful on-ramp. They walk away with language that reflects who they are and what they want to carry forward.
That alone puts them ahead of most families.
What This Unlocks for Advisors:
Helping clients take this small step unlocks significant value for advisors—both relationally and strategically.
Here are three areas where early legacy work opens doors:
1. More Organic Referrals
When clients feel seen and understood at a deeper level, they talk about it.
Values and Purpose conversations are memorable.
They often become stories clients share with friends and peers.
2. Next-Generation Engagement
Values and Purpose create a bridge to the next generation.
Rather than leading with technical tools or asset structures, advisors can start with meaning—something adult children are often more open to discussing.
3. Retention Through Transition
When advisors are tied to the family’s story—not just its portfolio—relationships tend to survive wealth transfer.
That’s where long-term retention really comes from.
None of this requires advisors to become therapists or family coaches.
It just requires a consistent, respectful way to help clients begin the work.
Why This Approach Works
The ancient idea that every journey begins with a single step still holds true.
Legacy is no different.
Starting with Values and Purpose keeps the work human.
It respects the client’s time.
And it gives advisors a scalable, repeatable way to introduce family legacy planning without overcomplicating it.
From there, families can move in many directions:
Defining a shared family vision
Marking key life milestones
Writing legacy letters
Preparing heirs for meaningful conversations
Revisiting decisions as life changes
But none of that happens until the first step is taken.
A Role Worth Playing
Helping clients start legacy work doesn’t require a reinvention of your practice.
It just requires an invitation—one that begins with a single, clear question:
“Would it be helpful to define what really matters to you before we make decisions around it?”
That’s where real legacy work begins.
Not with answers, but with reflection.
And for wealth advisors who want to build durable, multi-generational relationships, helping clients take that first step is one of the most valuable things you can do.
