How One Family Mastered Legacy Planning for Families Without Sacrificing Unity or Values

The Power of a Love Letter

When Shannon sat down to write her love letters to her children, she didn’t expect just how meaningful the process would be.

What began as a simple act of putting words on paper quickly became one of the most profound steps in her family’s legacy journey. The letters reflected a lifetime of love, intention, and values that now had a permanent home.

For Shannon and her husband, legacy planning for families wasn’t about cold documents or rigid legal structures. It was about love, clarity, and making sure their kids were taken care of—not just financially but emotionally and relationally.

Not because of the words alone—though they were beautiful and heartfelt—but because those words captured something far deeper: a lifetime of intention, care, and values that now had a permanent home. For Shannon and her husband, legacy planning for families wasn’t about cold documents or rigid legal structures. It was about love, clarity, and making sure their kids were taken care of—not just financially but emotionally and relationally.

This is the heart of legacy planning for families: making sure the people you love feel your guidance, presence, and blessing long after you’re gone. It’s not just about transferring assets—it’s about transferring identity, vision, and faith. And when done well, legacy planning becomes a source of peace, not pressure.

Their journey through the Seven Generations Legacy process turned what they feared would be an overwhelming task into one of the most empowering experiences of their life.

And they didn’t do it alone.

They did it with guidance, structure, support—and a shared commitment to doing legacy differently.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:39 — 23.6MB)

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Legacy Planning for Families is More Than Paperwork

When most people hear “legacy planning for families,” their minds jump straight to legal documents, trusts, and spreadsheets. But the truth is, your legacy isn’t built by lawyers alone. It’s not just about asset protection or tax strategy. As we learned from our client Shannon on the Money Advantage Podcast, the real work of legacy planning is deeply human.

It’s about putting into words what matters most. It’s about facing the hard questions that too often get avoided. And it’s about making decisions now that reflect not just your net worth, but your heart.

In this blog, we’re sharing the real-life story of Shannon and her family. You’ll walk through their experience of legacy planning with the Seven Generations Legacy coaching program, and come away with:

• A clear definition of what legacy planning for families actually involves
• A step-by-step account of how to design a plan that aligns money with mission
• A framework for engaging adult children in meaningful, productive ways
• Insight into why emotional clarity is just as important as financial clarity
• And encouragement to start your own journey before it’s too late

Because this kind of work doesn’t just benefit your kids when you’re gone. It changes the way your family lives together today.

Starting the Journey: A Shared Dream, Two Different Priorities

When Shannon and David began this journey, they were on the same team but holding different blueprints. David’s background, having grown up with limited financial resources, made it important for him to build a financial legacy. For him, the goal was protection and provision. He wanted to pass along what he had worked so hard to build.

Shannon’s focus was more relational. She wanted to ensure their kids had emotional security and that nothing about the financial setup would fracture their relationships.

“It was really, really important that whatever trust we built would be something that would bring them closer together.”

That one statement set the tone for everything that followed. Because when you’re doing legacy planning for families, you can’t just ask, “How do we avoid taxes?” You have to ask, “What will this money do to the people we love most?” And then build a system that answers that with intention.

Legacy planning for families isn’t about sacrificing one priority for another. It’s about integration. It’s about holding provision and protection, love and logic, faith and strategy in the same hands.

Bringing the Kids Into the Conversation

Perhaps the most powerful decision Shannon and David made was to include their children in the legacy planning for families process.

Their three adult children, all in their 20s, were thriving professionally and personally. But they were more than beneficiaries. They were also future stewards. And Shannon and David believed that preparing them meant involving them.

So they invited their children into the planning conversations. They talked about the family’s mission, values, long-term goals, and the purpose behind their trust structure. And in doing so, they opened a dialogue that shaped not only the documents but the direction of their family.

“We had this amazing adult conversation between the five of us and worked together to build this exciting future.”

Including the next generation early isn’t just a nice idea. It’s essential. When families engage their children in the planning process, they:

• Reduce the chances of miscommunication or misunderstanding later
• Encourage ownership and responsibility
• Build clarity around what matters most
• And create unity around shared goals

In Shannon’s case, what started as a conversation became a cornerstone. It shaped the way her kids saw their inheritance. It changed their expectations. And most importantly, it pulled them closer as a family.

Writing Love Letters: The Emotional Heart of the Legacy

One of the most moving parts of the Seven Generations Legacy process is writing love letters to your children.

These are not legal documents. They are legacy documents. They are emotional bridges between generations.

Shannon wrote one to each of her children. Not as a formality, but as a heartfelt expression of what she saw in them, what she appreciated, and what she prayed for their future. Each letter was unique, customized for the child it was written to.

“I made sure I incorporated all of the ways that my husband shows love to them.”

Because love is expressed in many ways. And while David wasn’t the letter-writer, Shannon knew his actions spoke volumes. So she embedded both of their voices into the letters—ensuring their children would feel the depth of their parents’ affection long after they were gone.

Legacy planning for families must include emotional clarity. Your children need to know your heart, not just your plans. They need your words, not just your assets. And when the grief comes, those love letters will be the most treasured inheritance of all.

Creating a Structure That Feels Like Coming Home

At the conclusion of the coaching program, Shannon described their finalized legacy plan like this:

“It’s like a child knowing their parents are home.”

That’s what a well-built legacy plan feels like: comfort, clarity, and confidence. Not confusion. Not tension.

Their family now has:

• A written Family Guidance System: mission, vision, values, ideals
• A Memorandum of Trust that outlines their wishes and intentions
• A love letter from both parents to each child
• A clear estate structure that promotes unity over division
• A sense of empowerment and clarity among their adult children

They also addressed the hard topic of mortality head-on. Not in fear, but in courage. As Shannon said, “We talked about the elephant in the room, and we did it together.”

That’s what legacy planning for families is all about: building something that holds when life feels uncertain. Preparing a structure that doesn’t just preserve money, but preserves mission.

Why This Matters for Your Family

Legacy planning for families isn’t something you wait to do in old age. It’s something you do now to secure peace, clarity, and confidence for the future.

Because when you’re intentional about:

• Articulating your values
• Including your family in the conversation
• Writing guidance, not just distributing wealth
• Building a structure that fosters unity

…you leave a legacy that blesses, not burdens.

And your family will thank you not just for the inheritance, but for the investment you made in their hearts, minds, and future.

Learn More in the Podcast Episode

If Shannon’s story touched something in you, then the full episode of the Money Advantage Podcast will deepen that inspiration.

In it, we unpack the full journey of legacy planning for families, including:

• How Shannon and David clarified different priorities and created alignment
• Why including their children changed everything
• The emotional breakthroughs that came from writing love letters
• And the step-by-step structure that led to lasting unity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:39 — 23.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Pandora | Youtube Music | RSS | More

And if you’re ready to begin your own journey of legacy planning for families…

Your wealth matters.
Your words matter.
Your legacy matters.

Let’s build something worth passing on.

Book A Strategy Call

Are you ready to take control of your finances and legacy? We offer two powerful ways to help you create lasting impact:

1. Financial Strategy Call – Discover how Privatized Banking, alternative investments, tax-mitigation, and cash flow strategies can accelerate your time and money freedom while improving your life today. Let us show you how to align your financial resources for maximum growth and efficiency. Book a Strategy Call with our team today.
2. Legacy Strategy Call – If you want to uncover your family values, mission, and vision, and create a legacy that’s about more than just money, we can guide you through the process of financial stewardship and family leadership. Save time coordinating your family’s finances while building a legacy that lasts for generations. Book a Legacy Strategy Call to learn more about how we can help.