A Guide to Legacy Planning for Financial Services

Imagine arriving at a family meeting armed with a clear, structured plan that respects your client’s legacy, easing tough discussions and saving hours of admin. Evaheld isn’t just software; it’s a game-changer for financial services firms looking to embed legacy planning seamlessly into everyday workflows. In this guide, we’ll walk through where legacy planning fits in a typical advice lifecycle and how Evaheld transforms client interactions from onboarding to intergenerational discussions — all while making life easier for advisers and more reassuring for clients.

Legacy Planning’s Place in Financial Services Workflows

Understanding the Advice Lifecycle: Where Legacy Planning Fits

Legacy planning is no longer a “nice to have”—it is a core component of the modern financial advice lifecycle. From initial client onboarding through to ongoing review cycles, estate and protection planning, legacy planning supports clients through every stage of their financial journey. By embedding legacy planning early, advisers ensure that clients’ wishes, values, and family considerations are front and centre, not just their financial assets.

“Embedding legacy planning early in client journeys transforms the value advisors deliver.” – Sarah Mitchell, Financial Planner

Traditionally, legacy planning was often left until later in the relationship, or only addressed when estate issues arose. However, a proactive approach—starting during onboarding and revisiting at every review—strengthens trust, deepens relationships, and ensures clients’ evolving needs are met.

Client Onboarding: Setting Legacy Planning Expectations

The onboarding stage is a critical opportunity to introduce legacy planning as a natural part of the advice process. By discussing legacy goals and family values from the outset, advisers set clear expectations and demonstrate a holistic approach to financial services. Tools like Evaheld make it easy to capture clients’ wishes, document important conversations, and ensure nothing is overlooked.

Initial Discovery: Capture legacy intentions alongside financial goals.
Documentation: Use Evaheld to record preferences, family structures, and key contacts.
Expectation Setting: Position legacy planning as an ongoing conversation, not a one-off task.

Annual Review Cycles: Keeping Estate and Protection Plans Current

Annual reviews are the ideal touchpoint to revisit legacy and estate planning. Clients’ circumstances, family dynamics, and legislation can change—regular reviews ensure their plans remain relevant and effective. Evaheld integrates seamlessly into these review cycles, providing a structured way to update documentation and track changes over time.

Review Triggers: Life events, asset changes, or legislative updates prompt legacy planning discussions.
Continuity: Evaheld maintains a clear record of previous decisions and conversations, reducing the risk of missed details.
Client Engagement: Structured reviews make clients feel heard and supported, building long-term loyalty.

Estate and Protection Planning: The Foundation of Long-Term Relationships

Estate planning is more than just wills and trusts—it’s about protecting clients’ legacies and ensuring their wishes are respected. By integrating legacy planning into estate and protection strategies, advisers can anticipate future life transitions and provide peace of mind for clients and their families.

Comprehensive Coverage: Address both financial and non-financial legacy wishes.
Family Inclusion: Use Evaheld to facilitate family meetings and intergenerational planning, ensuring all voices are heard.
Future-Proofing: Proactive legacy planning helps clients adapt to changes and reduces the risk of disputes or confusion later on.

How Evaheld Integrates with Financial Services Workflows

Evaheld is designed to fit naturally into established financial services workflows, enhancing rather than disrupting existing processes. Its flexible platform supports advisers at every stage:

Onboarding: Structured templates guide legacy conversations and capture essential information.
Annual Reviews: Easy access to historical data streamlines updates and ensures continuity.
Estate Planning: Centralised documentation supports collaboration with legal and tax professionals.
Family Meetings: Secure sharing features enable transparent, inclusive discussions across generations.

By embedding Evaheld into onboarding and review cycles, firms benefit from improved documentation, reduced admin burden, and a more consistent client experience. This proactive approach to legacy planning not only strengthens client trust but also positions advisers as true partners in their clients’ long-term wellbeing.

In summary, legacy planning’s place in financial services workflows is clear: it belongs at the heart of the advice lifecycle, from the very first meeting through every review and life transition. With the right tools and a proactive mindset, advisers can deliver human-centred, future-focused advice that truly stands out in a competitive market.

Stay organised and protected — securely store your financial documents in your free Evaheld Legacy Vault to keep insurance policies, superannuation details, and banking records safe, accessible, and easy to share with trusted advisers or loved ones.

Real-World Use of Evaheld by Financial Firms

Where Legacy Planning Fits in Financial Services

Legacy planning is a critical part of the financial advice lifecycle, touching everything from initial client onboarding to ongoing review cycles and complex estate planning. For financial services firms, integrating a tool like Evaheld ensures that legacy discussions are not only structured but also seamlessly woven into each stage of the client relationship.

Client Onboarding: During onboarding, Evaheld helps advisers start meaningful conversations about legacy goals and family values, setting a strong foundation for future advice.
Review Cycles: Annual and periodic reviews are streamlined, as Evaheld captures evolving client wishes and ensures nothing is overlooked as circumstances change.
Estate and Protection Planning: Evaheld supports advisers in navigating sensitive estate planning and protection conversations, making complex topics more manageable for clients.

How Firms Use Evaheld in Practice

Across the industry, financial services firms are embedding Evaheld into their daily workflows to enhance both client and adviser experiences.

Client Onboarding: Advisers use Evaheld to guide new clients through structured legacy conversations. The platform prompts key questions, ensuring clients articulate their wishes and priorities from the outset. This not only uncovers important details but also demonstrates a human-centred approach.
Annual Reviews: During annual reviews, Evaheld acts as a living record of previous discussions. Advisers can revisit past goals, update legacy intentions, and address new family circumstances, all while maintaining a clear audit trail.
Estate Planning Discussions: Evaheld simplifies estate planning by breaking down complex topics into manageable steps. Clients and advisers can work through scenarios together, ensuring clarity and reducing overwhelm.
Family Meetings: For family meetings and multigenerational wealth conversations, Evaheld provides a neutral framework. It helps structure dialogue, capture outcomes, and ensure everyone’s voice is heard. As James Carter, Wealth Manager, shares:
“With Evaheld, our family meetings are more focused and less daunting.”
Intergenerational Planning: The platform supports succession and intergenerational planning by securely storing wishes, intentions, and decisions. This continuity is invaluable when advice is handed over to the next generation or new advisers join the team.

Structuring Conversations and Storing Outcomes

Evaheld functions as both a conversation guide and a documentation tool. Its structured templates prompt advisers to ask the right questions, while its secure storage ensures that every outcome is recorded and accessible. This means:

Conversations are consistent and thorough, regardless of which adviser is present.
Clients’ wishes are documented clearly, reducing the risk of miscommunication or lost information.
Advice delivery remains coherent over time, even as teams or client circumstances change.

By maintaining a single source of truth, Evaheld helps firms demonstrate continuity of advice across adviser teams and over the years.

Client Experience Benefits

Clients benefit from Evaheld’s structured approach in several ways:

Feeling Heard: The guided conversations ensure clients feel their values and wishes are genuinely understood.
Less Overwhelm: Breaking down legacy planning into clear steps reduces anxiety and makes decision-making easier.
Clear Documentation: Clients have confidence that their intentions are accurately recorded and can be easily revisited or updated.
Confidence in Decisions: The continuity and clarity provided by Evaheld give clients peace of mind that their legacy plans will be honoured.

Business Benefits for Financial Services Firms

For financial services firms, implementing Evaheld delivers tangible business advantages:

Stronger Retention: Clients who feel understood and supported are more likely to stay with their adviser long-term.
Higher Engagement: Structured legacy conversations encourage deeper client engagement and more meaningful relationships.
Reduced Admin Burden: Automated documentation and easy retrieval of information save time and reduce manual errors.
Better Quality Advice Outcomes: Comprehensive records and clear communication lead to higher quality, more personalised advice.
Differentiation: In a competitive market, offering human-centred, technology-enabled legacy planning sets firms apart.

Enhancing Client Experience Through Legacy Planning Tools

Legacy planning is one of the most personal and sensitive aspects of financial services. Clients are often faced with complex decisions, emotional conversations, and the need to consider family dynamics and future generations. In this context, the use of dedicated legacy planning tools such as Evaheld is transforming the client experience, making the process more human-centred, less overwhelming, and ultimately more effective for both clients and advisers.

Clients Feel Heard and Understood

One of the most significant benefits of integrating legacy planning tools into financial services is the way they help clients feel genuinely listened to. Traditional estate planning discussions can sometimes feel transactional or rushed, leaving clients uncertain if their wishes and concerns are truly understood. Tools like Evaheld provide structured frameworks that guide conversations, ensuring every client’s voice is heard and their unique circumstances are considered. This approach not only builds trust but also helps clients articulate their values and intentions with clarity.

“Clients value the clarity and calm Evaheld brings to difficult conversations.” – Emma Li, Estate Planner

Reducing Emotional Overwhelm During Legacy Discussions

Legacy planning often involves confronting sensitive topics such as mortality, family conflict, and the distribution of assets. These discussions can be emotionally taxing for clients and their families. By using technology to facilitate and structure these conversations, advisers can help reduce emotional overwhelm. Evaheld, for example, breaks down the process into manageable steps, allowing clients to focus on one aspect at a time. This incremental approach helps clients process information, express their wishes, and make decisions without feeling rushed or pressured.

Guided prompts help clients clarify their wishes
Step-by-step modules reduce decision fatigue
Family members can participate at their own pace

Clear, Accessible Documentation Eases Client Anxiety

Uncertainty and anxiety often stem from a lack of clear documentation in legacy and estate planning. Clients want reassurance that their intentions are accurately recorded and will be accessible when needed. Legacy planning tools like Evaheld provide a secure, centralised platform for storing all relevant documents, notes, and decisions. This not only gives clients peace of mind but also supports families and executors by ensuring everything is easy to find and understand when the time comes.

All legacy wishes and documents in one secure location
Easy sharing with family members and professional advisers
Audit trails and version control for transparency

Greater Confidence in Financial and Estate Decisions

When clients have access to clear, well-organised information and a supportive adviser, their confidence in their financial and estate decisions increases. Legacy planning tools make it easier for clients to review their choices, understand the implications, and make informed adjustments over time. This clarity fosters a sense of control and empowerment, which is especially important in legacy planning where decisions can have long-lasting effects on loved ones.

Interactive visualisations help clients see the impact of decisions
Scenario planning features allow for “what if” analysis
Regular reviews ensure plans remain up to date and relevant

Improved Satisfaction and Stronger Client-Adviser Rapport

Positive client experiences during legacy planning have a direct impact on satisfaction and long-term engagement. When clients feel supported, understood, and confident in their plans, they are more likely to maintain a strong relationship with their adviser. This rapport not only leads to higher retention rates but also encourages clients to refer friends and family, further strengthening the adviser’s business.

Technology plays a subtle yet powerful role in this process. By humanising the legacy planning journey, tools like Evaheld enable advisers to focus on what matters most: understanding the client’s story, values, and goals. The result is a more meaningful, less stressful experience for everyone involved.

Clients report feeling less stressed and more in control
Advisers can deliver more personalised, empathetic service
Family engagement is easier, supporting intergenerational planning

In summary, the integration of legacy planning tools into financial services is redefining the client experience. By reducing overwhelm, providing clear documentation, and fostering confidence, these tools are helping clients and advisers navigate legacy planning with greater ease and satisfaction.

Business Advantages of Adopting Evaheld for Legacy Planning

Higher Client Retention Through Deeper Engagement

One of the most significant business benefits of integrating Evaheld into legacy planning workflows is the measurable improvement in client retention. By providing a digital platform that facilitates ongoing, meaningful conversations about legacy and estate planning, advisers can engage clients on a deeper, more personal level. This engagement is not just about ticking boxes; it’s about building trust and understanding what truly matters to clients and their families.

Research shows that over 50% of financial services firms adopting AI-driven digital tools like Evaheld report higher client engagement. This increased interaction leads to stronger relationships, making clients less likely to move their business elsewhere. As clients experience a more personalised and attentive approach, their loyalty to the firm grows, directly supporting long-term retention goals.

Greater Interaction Frequency Improves Advice Relevance

Evaheld’s digital platform encourages more frequent touchpoints between advisers and clients. Instead of legacy planning being a once-off or annual discussion, Evaheld enables advisers to check in regularly, update plans, and respond to life changes as they happen. This ongoing dialogue ensures that advice remains relevant and tailored to the client’s current circumstances.

Regular interaction also means advisers can identify opportunities and risks earlier, leading to more proactive and effective financial advice. This not only enhances the quality of service but also demonstrates a commitment to clients’ evolving needs, further strengthening the adviser-client relationship.

Cutting Down Administrative Burdens

Administrative burden is a persistent challenge for financial services firms. Traditional legacy planning often involves manual paperwork, scattered documentation, and time-consuming compliance checks. Evaheld streamlines these processes by providing a secure, centralised digital repository for all legacy planning documents and conversations.

Firms using Evaheld have reported administrative burden reductions of up to 30%. By automating documentation, tracking changes, and ensuring compliance, Evaheld frees up valuable adviser time. This allows professionals to focus on strategic advice and client relationships rather than getting bogged down in paperwork.

“Efficiency gains from Evaheld let us invest more in client relationships.” – Olivia Nguyen, Financial Advisor

Improved Quality and Compliance of Advice Outcomes

Quality and compliance are critical in financial advice, especially in legacy and estate planning. Evaheld supports advisers by structuring conversations, prompting for key information, and storing outcomes in a compliant manner. This digital audit trail not only protects the firm but also ensures that advice is thorough, up-to-date, and aligned with regulatory requirements.

With Evaheld, advisers can confidently demonstrate the rationale behind their recommendations and show that client wishes have been carefully considered and documented. This transparency builds trust and reduces the risk of disputes or compliance issues down the track.

Differentiation in a Crowded Financial Market

As digital adoption accelerates across the financial services sector, standing out from competitors is more important than ever. Evaheld offers a clear point of differentiation by enabling human-centred, technology-enabled legacy planning at scale. Firms that leverage Evaheld can market themselves as forward-thinking, client-focused, and administratively efficient.

This market differentiation is not just about technology—it’s about delivering a superior client experience. Clients increasingly expect their advisers to offer more than just numbers; they want holistic, thoughtful planning that considers their values, family, and legacy. Evaheld positions firms to meet and exceed these expectations.

Building a Reputation for Thoughtful, Comprehensive Planning

Adopting Evaheld sends a strong message to clients and prospects: this firm is committed to comprehensive, future-focused financial advice. By integrating digital legacy planning tools into their service offering, advisers demonstrate a proactive approach to client needs—one that goes beyond investments and insurance to encompass the full spectrum of legacy and intergenerational planning.

Over time, this reputation for thoughtful, comprehensive planning becomes a powerful business asset. It attracts new clients seeking a higher standard of service and encourages existing clients to refer friends and family, further supporting growth and sustainability.

Key business benefits: Higher client retention, increased engagement, reduced administrative burden, improved advice quality, market differentiation, and a reputation for comprehensive planning.

Future-Proofing Financial Advice: Legacy Planning at Scale

Financial advice is undergoing a significant transformation. No longer confined to transactional guidance or investment returns, today’s financial services are shifting towards relationship-centred strategies that prioritise client values, family dynamics, and long-term legacy. As client expectations evolve, legacy planning is emerging as a pivotal element of holistic wealth advice. Digital tools like Evaheld are now enabling advisers to deliver scalable, human-centred legacy planning—meeting the demands of a new era while preparing for regulatory and market changes.

From Transactions to Relationships: The New Standard in Financial Advice

Clients increasingly expect more than just numbers from their advisers. They want their financial advice to reflect their personal values, family goals, and vision for the future. This shift is driving the adoption of legacy planning as a core service, not just an add-on. Advisers are being called to facilitate conversations around inheritance, philanthropy, and intergenerational wealth transfer—areas where empathy and understanding matter as much as technical expertise.

According to recent industry data, over half of wealth firms are now using AI-powered tools to enhance communication and advice delivery. This trend highlights the growing importance of technology in meeting client expectations and supporting advisers in delivering more meaningful, personalised guidance.

Evaheld: Enabling Scalable, Human-Centred Legacy Planning

Evaheld is designed to bridge the gap between digital efficiency and human connection. By integrating seamlessly into existing advice workflows, Evaheld empowers advisers to offer legacy planning at scale—without sacrificing the personal touch that clients value.

Structured Conversations: Evaheld provides guided frameworks for legacy discussions, helping advisers navigate sensitive topics with confidence and consistency.
Centralised Documentation: All outcomes, wishes, and decisions are securely stored, ensuring continuity across review cycles and family meetings.
Intergenerational Engagement: The platform supports family involvement, making it easier to facilitate conversations between generations and align on shared values and goals.

This approach not only streamlines the legacy planning process but also ensures that every client feels heard and understood—reducing overwhelm and building trust.

Integrating Digital Tools with Traditional Advice for Resilience

The future of financial advice lies in the balance between technology and empathy. Digital tools like Evaheld enable advisers to deliver efficient, compliant, and consistent legacy planning—while maintaining the human touch that is essential for building lasting relationships.

Efficiency: Automated workflows reduce administrative burden, freeing up advisers to focus on deeper client engagement.
Transparency: Clear, accessible records support regulatory compliance and foster client confidence in the advice process.
Continuity: Digital storage ensures that client intentions are preserved and easily updated as circumstances change.

As the regulatory landscape evolves, particularly around transparency and client protection, having robust digital processes in place is no longer optional—it’s essential for future-proofing advice practices.

Meeting Expanding Client Expectations

Clients today are looking for advisers who understand the full picture of their lives—not just their portfolios. Trends such as phased retirement, philanthropic giving, and multi-generational wealth transfer are becoming central to client conversations. Evaheld enables advisers to address these needs at scale, ensuring that every client receives advice that is tailored, relevant, and forward-looking.

“The future of advice blends technology with genuine human connection.” – Daniel Foster, Wealth Strategist

By adopting human-centred tech solutions, financial services firms can differentiate themselves in a competitive market, strengthen client retention, and deliver better quality advice outcomes. The vision is clear: technology should empower advisers, not replace them—enabling a future where financial advice is as much about values and legacy as it is about numbers.

Wild Card: Imagining a Legacy Planning Family Meeting Using Evaheld

Legacy planning is often described as one of the most sensitive and complex aspects of financial advice. The stakes are high, emotions can run deep, and the need for clarity and continuity is paramount. In this scenario, we imagine how a financial adviser can use Evaheld—a leading digital tool for legacy planning—to guide a family meeting, demonstrating the practical and emotional benefits for clients and advisers alike.

Picture a multi-generational family gathered around a table, each member bringing their own hopes, concerns, and expectations. The adviser, equipped with Evaheld, opens the meeting not with a stack of papers, but with a tablet displaying a pre-loaded, structured agenda tailored to the family’s unique circumstances. This digital agenda, created in advance with input from the family and adviser, sets a clear path for the conversation, ensuring that every voice is heard and every topic is addressed in a logical order.

From the outset, Evaheld’s structured approach helps ease the tension that can often accompany legacy discussions. Instead of jumping between topics or allowing one voice to dominate, the agenda keeps the meeting focused. The adviser can guide the family through sensitive subjects—such as estate distribution, charitable intentions, or succession planning—while the platform prompts for input from each participant. This structure transforms what could be a daunting conversation into a series of manageable, constructive discussions.

As decisions are made—whether it’s agreeing on guardianship for younger children, setting up a family trust, or outlining wishes for philanthropic giving—Evaheld captures these outcomes in real time. The platform securely stores every agreement and note, creating a digital record that can be referenced in future meetings or shared with relevant professionals. This not only reduces the risk of misunderstandings but also provides a clear audit trail, giving everyone confidence that their intentions are documented and protected.

One of the most powerful aspects of using Evaheld in family legacy meetings is its ability to include next-generation family members in the process. Traditionally, younger family members may feel sidelined or overwhelmed by legacy planning. With Evaheld, advisers can invite them to participate directly—either in person or remotely—ensuring their perspectives are considered and their questions answered. This fosters intergenerational alignment and helps build a sense of shared responsibility for the family’s future.

Digital tools like Evaheld also provide continuity, especially important in an industry where adviser changes are inevitable. Should the family’s adviser retire or move on, the comprehensive digital record remains accessible, ensuring that the family’s legacy plan does not lose momentum or clarity. This continuity is invaluable, particularly for families with complex structures or evolving needs.

Perhaps most importantly, Evaheld enables advisers to build emotional trust through transparent, human-centred planning. By making the process visible and collaborative, the adviser demonstrates a commitment to the family’s wellbeing—not just their financial outcomes. Clients feel heard and respected, reducing overwhelm and increasing their confidence in the decisions being made. The adviser, in turn, benefits from stronger client engagement, higher retention, and the ability to deliver differentiated, high-quality advice in a competitive market.

This scenario illustrates how technology, when thoughtfully integrated, can enhance rather than replace the human elements of legacy planning. Evaheld’s combination of structured agendas, secure documentation, and inclusive features bridges the gap between practical implementation and emotional connection. It empowers advisers to facilitate meaningful conversations, capture critical decisions, and support families as they navigate the complexities of intergenerational planning.

As the financial advice landscape continues to evolve, clients expect more than just numbers—they seek guidance, empathy, and continuity. Digital tools like Evaheld are not just about efficiency; they are about future-proofing the advice process, ensuring that families can plan confidently for generations to come. By embracing these innovations, advisers can deliver legacy planning that is as enduring as the legacies themselves.

Future-Proof Your Family’s Story with the Evaheld Legacy Vault

Imagine a single, permanent home for your life's most precious layers: the laughter in your stories, the wisdom in your wishes, and the clarity of your care plans. The Evaheld Legacy Vault is that home—a guaranteed sanctuary for your legacy, designed to outlive the digital noise and ensure your voice is heard for generations.

This is more than storage; it's the one account your family will thank you for creating.

Take control of what matters most — set up your free Evaheld Legacy Vault to keep your stories, care wishes, and essential documents safe, organised, and instantly shareable with loved ones and advisers, for life.

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Your All-in-One Legacy Solution

Preserve a Rich, Living History: Build a first-person narrative with video messages, audio recordings, legacy letters, and recipes—a digital heirloom where your wisdom and memories are kept safe and searchable.
Co-Create in Family Rooms: Spark conversations and gather memories together in shared, collaborative spaces. It’s a living scrapbook that grows with every contribution from your family.
Simplify Every Step with Charli, Your AI Legacy Preservation Assistant: From onboarding and inviting family to sending content requests and articulating your stories, Charli provides proactive guidance throughout your entire legacy-building journey—ensuring nothing is forgotten while keeping the process effortless.
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How to Secure Your Legacy in Minutes

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Why Thousands Are Choosing Evaheld

By starting your free Evaheld Legacy Vault, you gain:

A Living Time Capsule — preserve your family’s identity, values, and care choices in one lasting digital home.
With Charli, Your AI Assistant, Preserving Your Story is Effortless
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Watch our Cofounder's Story to learn why we’re so passionate about Legacy Preservation and Advance Care Planning

The Best 3 Resources to Get Started

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TL;DR: Evaheld streamlines legacy planning within financial services by structuring client conversations, reducing administrative load, enhancing client experience, and boosting retention — making future-proof, human-centred advice scalable.

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Legacy Planning for Financial Services: A Practical Guide