Estate planning doesn’t stop at the will
Modern wealth planning requires much more!
This blog is written for private bankers, wealth planners, and other organizations involved with family capital. Over the next five years, one of the largest wealth transfers ever is expected to take place. According to ING*, an estimated €3.5 trillion will pass from one generation to the next in EMEA. But it won’t be without its challenges. Here’s why:
Estate planning in practice
In reality, we often see that at the moments that matter most, oversight and control are lacking. Research confirms this: almost 70% of family wealth transfer and business succession plans fail, according to FPA Plannersearch**. For private bankers and wealth planners, this represents a tremendous opportunity: those who want to truly guide families and provide meaningful advice must look beyond the financial plan alone.
Common questions in daily practice
Professionals working with high-net-worth individuals or families recognize the recurring questions: how do we ensure that everything that seems well-arranged today actually works when it’s needed? What happens if a business owner is temporarily incapacitated, or if an unexpected death occurs? Can we access everything on time? Are all financial assets properly accounted for? And why, despite good advice and comprehensive dossiers, do so many conflicts, delays, and uncertainties still arise during inheritance?
“Estate planning also means considering how to leave your cryptocurrency or other digital assets behind. Otherwise, your heirs may never see them again.”
Wilbert Heijmans, CEO & Founder, Life After Me
When good plans fail in execution
The reality is that estate planning is often fragmented and insufficiently discussed with relatives. Documents are scattered across multiple financial and legal advisors, wishes exist primarily in conversations, and crucial information resides in people’s heads rather than in systems. Even when information has been digitized, accessibility challenges arise: login credentials for an increasing number of devices and applications are missing.
In cases of illness, death, or family conflict, a search ensues, for documents, intentions, passwords, and explanations. This often leads to tension between heirs, additional procedures, and reputational risk for everyone involved in the advice process.
Changing expectations across families and generations
Expectations are also evolving. Families want transparency, involvement, and control, not only over assets but also over values, wishes, and responsibilities. Younger generations expect digital solutions that help them maintain oversight, while older generations seek peace of mind in knowing everything is properly documented. Increasingly, the question arises: how can we make wealth planning future-proof without losing its personal character?
From dossier to continuous process
Life After Me was developed precisely to address these questions. It is a secure digital platform where clients can organize and share everything that matters with the people they trust, both during their lifetime and after death. Financial documents, legal papers, instructions, wishes, and context — not as a static archive, but as a living, evolving system that adapts to the client’s life.
A deeper conversation, without extra complexity
For private bankers and wealth planners, this enables a more structured and ongoing conversation: not only at the moment of plan creation, but annually, proactively, and holistically. Clients retain control over their data, while advisors gain insight into what is complete and what requires attention. This prevents the familiar “last-minute document hunt” and makes advice more concrete and better substantiated.
Life After Me bridges the gap between strategy and execution by providing more client data and improving its accessibility. The question is not whether estate planning must change, but who dares to lead the conversation. Who helps families transfer not only wealth, but also clarity, peace of mind, and trust?
Are you ready to start the conversation with us and explore collaboration?
Nathan Lloyd - LinkedIn - Nathan@LifeAfterMe.com
We welcome your feedback.
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