Estate Planning Basics

How can I approach estate planning as an ongoing process that reflects my family, values, and changing circumstances?

Estate planning involves more than deciding who receives assets. Estate Planning Basics (formerly Estate Planning Module 1) explores how estate plans can carry intentions, values, and family dynamics across generations, while also creating consequences that may not have been anticipated. Through The Descendants, real-world examples, and reflection exercises, you will examine how life events, outside influences, fiduciary responsibilities, family culture, and changing beneficiary circumstances can shape both the design and impact of an estate plan.

What You’ll Be Able to Do on the Other Side

• Identify personal, family, and external events that may prompt the creation or review of an estate plan.
• Evaluate how an estate planning structure can create both intended and unintended consequences over time.
• Ask more informed questions about fiduciary responsibility, decision-making power, legacy, and family culture.
• Separate legal and financial considerations from broader questions involving values, relationships, identity, and stewardship.
• Prepare examples from your own circumstances to support a more grounded estate planning conversation.

The Experience

This module combines self-paced reading, a feature-film case study, deep-dive resources, and practical examples. While watching The Descendants, you will consider how a multigenerational trust affects family relationships, cultural identity, fiduciary decision-making, and the future of a significant family asset.

Reflection prompts and homework questions invite you to connect the case to your own experience. You will consider major life events, known and unknown circumstances, outside influences, and family dynamics that could affect an estate plan, then organize those observations for future discussion and planning.