Into the Great Wide Open: Planning for the Childfree Client

A growing and increasingly visible segment of clients is redefining what legacy means. Recent social science research suggests that nearly one in five Americans may choose to remain childfree—a shift with meaningful implications for advisors accustomed to multigenerational, descendant‑focused planning frameworks. This presentation invites us to step into the “great wide open” and consider how planning assumptions, drafting conventions, and client conversations change when there are no children in the picture. Topics include best practices for engaging clients with nontraditional family structures, drafting for flexibility in fiduciary selection and evolving beneficiary pools, and the important role testamentary charitable transfers often play in shaping a childfree client’s legacy.