Overview
While an Asset-Map visualizes what a client owns, the Legal Instruments tool documents who is in control. This feature allows you to bridge the gap between financial inventory and estate readiness, ensuring that a client’s "Control Layer" is as robust as their asset base.
The Legal Conversation with the Client
The Legal button in the center of the Asset-Map is your primary diagnostic tool. If the number is "0," use it as a visual cue to transition from discussing numbers to discussing protection. Below are a few ideas to get the conversation started.
The "Remote Control" Script
"We’ve mapped out your assets (the 'What'). Now, let's look at the 'Remote Control' for these assets—the 'Who and How.' If you weren't able to make decisions tomorrow, who has the legal authority to step in? That central 'Legal' button shows we haven't documented those instructions yet. Shall we fill in those blanks?"
The "Safety Net" Script
"Looking at your Map, your foundation is strong. However, I view this 'Legal' button as the safety net underneath your assets. Right now, it’s at zero, which means if something unexpected happened, there is no net to catch your family. Can we take five minutes to document who your 'safety net' people are?"
Ongoing Validation and Maintenance
Use this when the Legal button already shows a number (e.g., "3" or "5").
"Looking at your Asset-Map, I see we have your Will, Revocable Trust, and Powers of Attorney documented. We last updated these notes in [Year]. Before we dive into the numbers, has anything changed in your family or your wishes that would make these 'people in charge' the wrong choice today? It's better to find a hole in the net now than when you actually need to use it."
Recording Legal Details
The Legal Instruments tool is designed for metadata and notes. It is a Summary & Audit tool, not a document storage vault. Use it to track the existence and health of a client’s legal plan.
Common Instruments to Track
Legacy (The Distribution): Will, Testamentary Trust, Revocable Trust, Irrevocable Trust.
Continuity (The Management): Financial Power of Attorney.
Care (The Wishes): Advance Health Care Directive.
Key Data Points to Capture
Status: Is the document executed, drafted, or missing?
Key Dates: When was it last signed? (Tip: Look for documents older than 5 years).
Participants: Who is the named Executor, Trustee, or Agent?
Location: Where is the original physical document stored?
The Output: Professional Reporting
Data entered into the Legal Instruments interface provides a professional "win" in your client deliverables:
Financials Table Report: Generates a clean, standalone list of all legal instruments, notes, and key participants.
Comprehensive Client Reports: Including the Financials report in you comprehensive client report integrates legal preparedness into your multi-page deliverable, proving you are looking at the client’s entire life, not just their accounts.
Functionality
Activate the Legal Instruments feature: Use the Asset-Map’s Actions menu to toggle visibility to 'on'. Right-click on the map and select Toggle Visibility.
Quantity of legal instruments: The legal instruments button displays the quantity of legal documents recorded for the members currently shown in the middle of the map.
Changing member avatars can change the quantity of legal instruments shown.
The Legal Instruments Interface
Legal Instruments on the Asset-Map Sidebar: Click the legal instruments button to view the legal instruments summary interface.
Click on documented legal instruments to view or edit details.
Add, edit, remove new legal instruments if desired.
Legal instruments on the Financials page: View, add, or delete legal instruments on the Financials page.
Electronic Report Options
From the Financials page
To generate an electronic report from the Financials page click the PDF icon at the top of the page. A table with documented legal instruments will be included.
From the Reports Center
Include the Legal button: A PDF report generated from the household Reports center does not include the legal icon on the map by default. Use the Include Legal Count checkbox to include the legal icon on the map.
To generate an electronic report from the Reports center page click the checkbox associated with the Financials report. A table with documented legal instruments will be included.
Legal Instrument and Beneficiary Designation
The overall goal is to effectively model financial relationships and potential future scenarios (like money flows at death) while maintaining a clear and comprehensive view of the client's current financial situation in the Asset-Map Report.
Key Components:
Legal Instruments as Entities: Trusts can be recorded as Legal Instruments and represented as Entities in the Household. Include details of the legal documents related to these Trusts.
Legal Instruments without Ownership Stakes: Instruments like Wills, Testamentary Trusts, Powers of Attorney (POAs), Guardianships, and buy/sell agreements should be entered under the Legal option. This categorization allows these instruments to be visible on the Asset-Map Report (AMR) without cluttering it, using a separate Legal Sidebar applet. This approach enables more focused data entry compared to standard Entities.
Beneficiaries of Legal Instruments: Legal instruments that do not currently have ownership stakes can still be designated as Beneficiaries. Checking the "beneficiary designation" box creates a linked Entity that is not part of the Household but can be used in Relationship Maps and as a Beneficiary on the Beneficiary Review page. This setup helps model potential future ownership and money flows at death.
When this box is selected, a Legal Entity will be automatically created that’s linked to the original Legal instrument. This Legal Entity will appear on the list view of the Relationships page under “Other Entities”:
The Legal Entity can then be selected as a beneficiary for any financial instrument.
Functionality/features mentioned above may be dependent upon factors such as subscription level, enterprise agreements and compliance. If you have any questions, please email us at support@asset-map.com.
2/2026