Legacy Planning — New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog — April 24, 2025
In the interim, we’ve learned that legacy planning is more than estate planning. Legacy is both the assets and the impressions you leave behind. Your assets will fade, but your legacy will last. Were you grateful and forgiving? You may have been compassionate and brought light to the world despite your setbacks. Many of the lessons we have learned come from our interactions with our clients. One client asked me if I had a psychology degree. I replied that I had a Masters. When she asked where I got it, I said sitting behind this desk eight hours a day for the last thirty-five years!
Observing people you learn that perspective is everything. We see it as part of our mission to give clients different perspectives to look at personal and family issues. It’s easy to see how a new perspective can change the way you see the world. She was furious that the abusive husband of her daughter used her to get his degree, then asked for divorce and moved out. I agreed, but I would be delighted if my daughter had an abusive spouse. Oh, the client said “I never considered that!” Her perspective on the matter had changed considerably. Thoreau said, “It is not what you see that matters, but what you are.” We improve our lives and those around us. The Dalai Lama said that we are all selfish, but we can practice “enlightened selflessness”, which is doing better for others’ sake.
