When Wealth Arrives, It Rarely Arrives Alone
Why families experiencing a windfall need more than just strategy, and how advisors can hold that moment with intentionality and grace.
In the world of wealth planning, timing is everything.
You know what to do when a client sells their company, inherits a large estate, or receives a settlement.
The financial steps are clear: restructure, protect, invest, plan.
But what about the other reality, the one that’s harder to quantify?
What about when a family receives sudden wealth while still grieving a parent?
What about the first-generation entrepreneur who just cashed out, but feels overwhelmed, disoriented, or disconnected from their roots?
What about the spouse who received a significant settlement and is quietly navigating both empowerment and loss?
These are the conversations that don’t always fit inside a portfolio review. They live in the quiet pauses, the tentative language, what’s left unsaid. And they’re often the reason your clients don’t follow through, or change their minds, or avoid the next meeting.
Sudden wealth may be accompanied by:
Unresolved grief
Unspoken family tension
A shift in identity or belonging
Fear of making the “wrong” move
Conflicted feelings about the past or the future
As a legacy strategist who works at the intersection of money, meaning, and relationships, I’ve supported many individuals and families in this moment, often in partnership with their financial advisors. What I know from my experience is that the advisory relationship is in some ways just as intimate as a psychotherapeutic relationship. Emotions, past hurts, hopes and dreams, and core values and beliefs are the undercurrent of financial advising conversations.
As such, your questions matter.
The way you open a conversation can shape everything that follows.
You don’t need to solve the emotional complexity, you just need to know when it’s present.
A Tool for Advisors: 5 Questions to Ask Families Experiencing a Windfall
I’ve created a simple, values-based guide for advisors who want to approach these moments with more clarity, care, and confidence.
The brief guide offers:
Gentle ways to surface values
Clues to spot emotional overwhelm early
Cues for when to bring in outside support
It’s designed to complement, not replace, your expertise.
And it can help you build even deeper trust with the clients who rely on you most.
