Planting Trees You May Never Sit Under: Multigenerational Planning

By Kristin McGinnis, Strategic Leader of Business Development at The Rains Law Firm  

At The Rains Law Firm, we don’t just support families in passing on assets—we believe it’s equally important to pass on values, intentions, and a sense of legacy. 

There’s a saying that has always stayed with me: 

“Plant trees under whose shade you may never sit.” 

It’s a simple idea, but a powerful one. The choices you make today—what you prioritize, how you prepare, what you put into motion—can impact generations you may never meet. That is the heart of multigenerational planning. 

It asks you to think beyond yourself. 

Beyond even your children. 

And into the lives of your grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

What Legacy Really Means Beyond Assets 

Not just financially—but personally. 

• What do you want to be remembered for?

These are not always easy questions—but they are meaningful ones. And your estate plan can be a living reflection of those answers. 

One of the things that has deepened my appreciation for this work is exploring my own family history. 

I used to think I had more time. 

More time to sit with my grandparents, to ask questions, to write things down—to capture the stories, the context, the meaning behind the lives they lived. 

But within days of each other, I lost two of my grandparents—one on my mom’s side and one on my dad’s side. 

And with them, pieces of family history that I had always intended to gather. 

It was a quiet but powerful realization: 

some forms of legacy aren’t written down unless we choose to preserve them—intentionally, and while we still can. 

This is one of the reasons I feel so strongly about something many people overlook: the personal property memorandum. 

While estate plans often focus on financial assets, this document allows you to thoughtfully pass on tangible, meaningful items—family heirlooms, personal belongings, things that may not hold significant monetary value, but carry deep emotional significance. 

More importantly, it creates an opportunity. 

An opportunity to: 

• share the story behind an item 

• express why it matters 

• and pass along the values, memories, and meaning tied to it 

It also opens the door for conversation while you’re still here. 

You may even ask your children or loved ones: 

“What items mean the most to you?” 

The answers are often surprising. 

What you might see as small or insignificant could hold deep meaning to someone else—and without that conversation, those connections can easily be missed. 

In many ways, these are the roots of the tree you’re planting—stories, meaning, and intention that will live on long after you’re gone. 

These moments—these conversations, these intentions—are where legacy truly lives. 

Not just in what we leave behind, but in the meaning we attach to it, and the clarity we provide for the people we love. 

Because ultimately, legacy isn’t just about distribution. 

It’s about connection. 

Legacy planning is about intention. 

It’s about taking the time—now—to: 

• reflect on what matters most 

• make thoughtful decisions 

• and create a plan that supports not just your current life, but your family’s future 

At The Rains Law Firm, we call this Purposeful Planning. 

Because when your plan reflects both your assets and your values, it becomes something more—it becomes a meaningful extension of who you are.