Legacy Essential

Creating a Family Legacy Document Essential ($399)

The creation of a written family legacy document is an absolute necessity.  It clearly communicates the accomplishments, beliefs, actions and guidance that family members have demonstrated over time.  It describes moments that reveal character and what is important.  An effective document will make the family vision clear to at least five generations.

The creation of a written family legacy document is a six step process:

Step 1  Preparing For The Journey

• To get the process started, a family(s) member must be identified who will assume responsibility for coordinating the activities associated with creating and maintaining the written family legacy document.  This family(s) member will be the primary contact person(s).
• The family must determine the couple/partners/individual who will serve as the focus for the family legacy document.  The process will focus on five generations.  The primary contact person will be responsible for one primary account with ten sub accounts associated with it to access the website and to input data.
• The family must determine the couple/partners/individual who will serve as the focus for the family legacy document.  The process will focus on five generations.
• Establish goal(s) for the written family legacy document.  The goal(s) should be measurable and attainable in a reasonable amount of time.  The focus should be to collect as much information as possible on five generations of family members.
• Review the non-disclosure agreement and the service agreement.

Action items:

1. Provide the name of a contact person for the family.  (client)
2. Provide a list of family goal(s) for the process.  (client)
3. Complete and sign the non-disclosure agreement and the service agreement.  (client & Legacy Forward, LLC)

Step 2  Family History

• The family member(s) participating in the process will collect as much information as possible on themselves, parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.

Action items:

1. Talk to family members, especially older family members and document their experiences (client)
2. Subscribe to services such as familysearch.com, Ancestry.com/AncestryDNA, CRI Genetics (Cellular Research Institute), 23 and Me, The Genealogy Bank, African Ancestry, and Family Tree DNA.  (client and Legacy Forward, LLC)
3. Review census records  (client)
4. Complete The Family Legacy Document/ Family History Questionnaire made available by Legacy Forward, LLC  (client)

Step 3  Identify Family Traits

• Identify factors that are/were important to family members and have been consistent over time.  (Examples:  positive family characteristics; negative family characteristics; principles; values; family traditions; religious beliefs; hard work; philanthropy; etc.)

Action item:

1. Complete The Family Legacy Document/ Family Traits Questionnaire made available by Legacy Forward, LLC  (client)

Step 4  Data Analysis

• Analyze data to develop a mission statement, principles, and core values in order to create the first draft of the family legacy document.  Use information from steps two and three to complete step four.
• Family legacy mission statement – The statement must include the family’s values and beliefs, and ensure ways those values are effectively passed on to future generations.  The family legacy mission statement provides a chance to share love and let other family members know how much the family cares for them.  Every family member contributes to the family legacy.
• Family legacy principles – a principle is a rule or belief that governs the behavior of family members.  Principles are permanent and unchanging. 
• Family legacy core values – core values are personal, emotional, and subjective, and are subject to change over time.  They are learned and reinforced within a family and passed from generation to generation.

Action item:

1. Deliver first draft of family legacy document to family for review.  (Legacy Forward, LLC)

Step 5  Draft Document Review

• Family review draft document and provide feedback.  (Examples:  elements to be retained, elements to be discarded, new elements, etc.)

Action item:

1.  Deliver feedback regarding the draft document to Legacy Forward, LLC  (client)

Step 6  Final Document

• The family legacy document has been completed.  By leveraging the information identified and pulled together from previous steps, you have created a finished working final draft of the family legacy document.  At this point on your journey, you have created a product that can be used to share your family’s documented legacy with your broader family, friends and loved ones.   

Action item:

1.  The deliverables include a family legacy document with an introduction, mission statement, principles, and core values; a family legacy card (one card, four panels); and a family tree diagram.  (Legacy Forward, LLC)

Note:  All information provided by the client is strictly confidential and will be used exclusively for the purpose of creating a family legacy document.