Estate planning in today’s complex financial landscape requires far more than drafting wills and signing basic documents. With generational wealth on the rise and client needs becoming increasingly nuanced, attorneys and advisors must work hand-in-hand to deliver strategies that protect assets, reduce taxes, and preserve family harmony across decades.
In our recent webinar, “Intergenerational Wealth Transfer: Beyond Basic Estate Planning,” Hargrove Firm’s Advanced Planning Attorneys Samantha Chevalier and Keven DuComb, along with NetLaw CEO Alex Hargrove, shared actionable strategies for navigating multigenerational estate planning. Their discussion focused on preparing heirs, leveraging flexible trust structures, and addressing the real-world complexities families face in legacy planning today.
The session emphasized the vital role of legal guidance, proactive planning, and technology integration when serving clients with legacy and succession planning needs.
Hargrove Firm attorneys regularly work with families across the country through NetLaw’s digital estate planning platform, offering a unique blend of high-touch legal support and scalable technology.
This collaborative structure involving clients, attorneys, and financial advisors has transformed how families engage with their estate plans. Clients gain a deeper understanding of their documents and feel more confident in their decisions, while advisors stay involved throughout the process, ensuring true integration across all facets of the client’s financial and legal life.
For attorneys, it enables delivery of high-quality legal counsel in a highly efficient, client-friendly way. For advisors, it breaks down traditional barriers to legal engagement and helps foster trust across generations.
One of the most impactful developments in estate planning strategy has been the rise of the Lifetime Protection Trust. These trusts provide a level of control, flexibility, and long-term protection that far exceeds traditional outright distributions. Clients are increasingly seeking asset protection from creditors and divorce, tax flexibility for future state and federal estate tax changes, and structured inheritance that allows beneficiaries to grow into financial responsibility. Hargrove Firm attorneys emphasized the importance of bringing children into the planning process early, when appropriate, to help prepare heirs for future roles and ensure multigenerational clarity.
During the webinar, several best practices were highlighted that apply broadly across client demographics:
These tools, combined with skilled legal drafting, can significantly improve long-term outcomes for families.
From blended families to strained sibling relationships or heirs with substance use disorders, real-life dynamics must be considered in every estate plan. Attorneys at Hargrove Firm use techniques such as incentive trust provisions, equalization strategies for family business involvement, and corporate trustee oversight to ensure plans reflect the client’s intentions while minimizing future disputes.
Clear communication through facilitated family meetings is another key component in diffusing potential conflict and ensuring transparency.
Clients often want to retain control during their lifetimes, while ensuring their assets remain protected and well-directed after their passing. Hargrove Firm’s approach incorporates:
This gives clients the assurance that their plans can evolve alongside family and legal changes.
The webinar spotlighted a real client case: a couple in their 40s with two minor children and a net worth of $10 million. With additional inheritance on the horizon and a desire to avoid the probate challenges they had previously experienced, the couple partnered with Hargrove Firm for a long-term, flexible strategy.
Key components of the plan included:
This structure ensured asset protection, minimized potential tax liabilities, and created a durable, adaptable legacy plan that empowers future generations while preserving the couple’s goals.
For attorneys and advisors seeking to strengthen their estate planning services and deliver deeper value to clients, collaboration is key. The Hargrove Firm’s legal team partners with financial professionals to create seamless, technology-enabled planning solutions that scale across generations.
To hear the full discussion and gain even more planning insights, watch the recorded webinar.
Ready to see how our legal expertise and the NetLaw platform can support your clients’ legacy planning needs? Schedule a personalized demo to learn how we help streamline the estate planning process with professional guidance and digital innovation.