When to Recommend Family Harbor

When to Recommend Family Harbor (For Professionals)

A quick, practical guide to help you decide when Family Harbor will move a client forward—and when a different approach is better.

What Family Harbor is (one sentence)

A client-owned organization layer for legacy planning that sets up an organized folder structure in the client’s Google Drive/Dropbox, pairs it with a guided checklist, and nudges follow-through—so you get cleaner intake and meeting-ready progress without holding their documents.

Ideal moments to recommend Family Harbor

Pre-work before drafting

Client is meeting you or counsel to update a will/trust/POAs and needs to gather IDs, insurance, account lists, and beneficiary information.

After a financial plan uncovers “estate hygiene” gaps

Plan is sound, but beneficiaries, titling, and medical directives are stale or missing.

During onboarding or annual review

You want standardized prep from every household before their review meeting.

Life transitions

Marriage, divorce, birth, relocation, retirement, business sale, or a new diagnosis prompting “what if” planning.

Scattered storage and stalled follow-through

Client admits “everything’s everywhere” and hasn’t progressed after prior reminders.

Quick fit test (60 seconds)

Recommend Family Harbor if at least two are true:

Client can sign into Google Drive or Dropbox (or is willing to).

They need a simple, non-legal checklist to gather and organize documents.

They respond to light reminders but dislike complex apps.

You prefer read-only/comment visibility rather than file custody.

A 30-day push to “ready for drafting/updates” would create momentum.

If most are false (no cloud access, intense resistance to tech, immediate litigation risk), consider a higher-touch alternative first.

Role-specific guidance

For financial planners

Best moment: right after presenting the plan’s action list.

Primary wins: beneficiary audit, insurance inventory, and a clean folder you can reference at reviews.

What to say: “This keeps documents in your Drive, not mine. I’ll be able to see your progress without emailing files around.”

For elder law and estate attorneys

Best moment: before intake or between engagement and drafting.

Primary wins: clients arrive with IDs, asset list, existing instruments, and a simple “who sees what” map.

What to say: “Use this to assemble everything in your own Drive. When you’re done, I’ll review and we’ll draft.”

For life insurance agents and brokers

Best moment: at policy placement or during an annual policy review.

Primary wins: updated beneficiary evidence, coverage summaries stored alongside financial docs, easier cross-sell conversations.

What to say: “This helps you keep critical documents in one private spot you control. I can check progress when you’re ready.”

When not to recommend (or recommend later)

Active dispute, foreclosure, or litigation posture where legal counsel must tightly control process.

No access to or refusal to use cloud storage and no proxy who can help.

Immediate post-loss estate administration (different workflow; you can add them to the waitlist for that product).

Client expects legal advice from the tool (Family Harbor is organizational; not legal or tax advice).

Setting expectations with the client

What they’ll do: 30–45 minutes to initialize their organized folder, then work through a guided checklist with light weekly nudges.

What you’ll do: optionally view or comment (with their permission) before meetings; you remain the advisor/attorney.

Where files live: in their own Google Drive/Dropbox; they can revoke access anytime.

Outcome: a clean folder and a clear progress view so your next meeting starts productive.

Compliance and fees

Client pays Family Harbor directly. No fee-splitting with attorneys. Non-law partners may use compliant referral credits where permitted by their rules.

Data roles: client is the data owner; Family Harbor provides structure and reminders; you are a permitted viewer/commenter if the client invites you.

Not legal/tax advice: Family Harbor is an organizational tool; you provide professional advice.

Simple referral script (copy/paste)

“Before our next meeting, use Family Harbor to set up a private Drive folder and follow the short checklist. You own the storage, and I can view progress without you emailing documents. Here’s my link: [your partner link]. If you start this week, we’ll use your setup in our review.”

What “good” looks like after 2–4 weeks

Folder contains IDs, insurance summaries, account/beneficiary notes, prior instruments (if any), and a short access map.

Checklist shows key items at 75–100% (beneficiaries reviewed, POA/health directive plan decided, appointment scheduled).

You’ve been added as viewer/commenter and can skim progress in 2–3 minutes.

Common objections and responses

“I don’t want another app.” It’s not another app—your files stay in your Google Drive or Dropbox. Family Harbor adds structure and reminders.

“Is it secure?” You control sharing; we recommend view/comment only for advisors. You can revoke access anytime.

“Will this replace my attorney/planner?” No. It helps you show up organized so your professional time is used efficiently.

How to pilot with one client this week

Choose a client already planning to update documents.

Send your link and book a 20-minute “review day” in two weeks.

Before the meeting, open their progress view and note what’s ready vs. missing.

Use their organized folder live in the meeting; assign next steps.

What Family Harbor provides to you

Partner materials (one-pager, short deck, link/QR).

Optional co-branded client prep sheet.

A free partner seat (view/comment) for pilot households.

Support for basic Drive/Dropbox sharing questions.

Summary

Recommend Family Harbor when organization and follow-through—not legal drafting—are the blocker. It fits best before or between professional meetings, creates a client-owned record you can reference, and reduces the chase. When stakes require counsel to control every step or the client cannot or will not use cloud storage, defer the recommendation until conditions improve.