The Dormant Client Reactivation System

Sample Output

Section 1: Dormancy Segmentation

Five segments, each with a distinct most‑likely‑outdated element:

Segment A — Pre-SECURE Plans with Significant Retirement Assets (estimated 40+ households)

• Most likely outdated: Conduit trust language for retirement account beneficiaries, drafted before the SECURE Act eliminated the stretch for non-spouse beneficiaries.
• Concern: Conduit trust provisions written for the 10-year payout era can produce unintended income tax outcomes today.
• Trigger: Plan executed 2018 or earlier with retirement assets named to a trust.

Segment B — High-Net-Worth Plans Built Around the Current Estate Tax Exemption (estimated 15‑20 households)

• Most likely outdated: Plan structure assumed continued availability of the elevated exemption.
• Concern: With the scheduled sunset, formula clauses, disclaimer trusts, and credit shelter funding may produce different results than originally intended.
• Trigger: Net worth above $5M and plan executed 2018-2024.

Segment C — Revocable Trust Plans with Suspected Funding Gaps (estimated 60+ households)

• Most likely outdated: The trust was signed but assets were never fully retitled into it.
• Concern: An unfunded revocable trust does not avoid probate. Many clients believe the plan is "done" once signed.
• Trigger: Any revocable trust client who never used the firm's trust funding service or whose file lacks confirmation of trust funding completion.

Segment D — Business Owner Plans with Outdated Buy-Sell or Succession Provisions (estimated 25 households)

• Most likely outdated: Valuation provisions, funding mechanism (life insurance amount, sinking fund balance), or successor identification.
• Concern: Buy-sell and succession plans often go un-revisited even as business value, owner health, and family dynamics shift substantially.
• Trigger: Closely held business owner with plan or buy-sell drafted 3+ years ago.

Segment E — Blended Family Plans with Possible Life Event Changes (estimated 30 households)

• Most likely outdated: Beneficiary structures, trustee selections, or guardian designations that no longer match family reality.
• Concern: Births, deaths, divorces, remarriages, and adult children's life changes often go uncommunicated to the drafting attorney.
• Trigger: Plan executed 4+ years ago for a blended family or second marriage.

Section 2: Sequence Architecture

Section 3: Outreach Copy (excerpts)

Segment A — Pre-SECURE, Touch 1 (Mailed letter)

Dear [First name],

Several years ago we worked together on your estate plan. I'm writing — not because anything is wrong with your plan — because two changes in federal law since then are worth a brief look for clients in your situation.

The SECURE Act of 2019 and SECURE 2.0 of 2022 substantially changed the rules for retirement accounts left to most non-spouse beneficiaries. The "stretch IRA" that many plans were built around no longer exists for most beneficiaries; instead, accounts must generally be drawn down within ten years of inheritance. For plans that name a trust as beneficiary of an IRA or 401(k) — which yours likely does — the trust language drafted before SECURE may produce different income tax results today than we originally intended.

This may or may not matter for your specific situation. The only way to know is a quick review of the relevant trust language alongside your current account beneficiary designations. I'd be glad to do that as a complimentary 30-minute consultation, in person at our office or by video.

If you'd like to schedule, please reply to this letter, call us at [phone], or use this link: [link]. If your situation has settled in a way that no longer needs review, no need to respond.

With regards, [Signature, hand-signed]

Segment C — Funding Gap, Touch 1 (Email) Subject: A quick check on your trust — most plans need one of these every few years

[First name],

A common situation in our practice: a client signs a revocable living trust with us, life moves on, and over the following years they buy and sell property, open new accounts, refinance the house, or change banks — and the new assets don't always get retitled into the trust.

When that happens, the trust still exists and still works for the assets that are inside it. But assets outside the trust may end up going through probate at death, which is the outcome the trust was built to avoid.

We launched a flat-fee trust funding review service last year specifically for past clients in this situation. It includes a 30-minute consultation, a review of your asset titling against your trust schedule, and a written summary of any retitling steps recommended. There's no obligation to use us for any retitling work.

If a quick check would be useful, you can book here: [link], or reply to this email.

[Signature]

Section 4: Reactivation Mechanic

Section 5: Ethics and Solicitation Review

Universal items for every segment: PA Rule 7.2 advertising review per firm policy, archival of all written communication per firm document retention policy, file note in each client matter recording the outreach, no language that could be misconstrued as reopening representation without a new engagement letter at the consultation.