I built a 3-tiered ladder for a family with an $800K mortgage here in San Francisco: Shoot for $1M of coverage for 10 years (the peak childcare stage), drop to $750K of coverage for the next 10 years (the school age time frame), and then finally getting down to that final rung, which would be $500k of coverage for the last stage before it probably is more reasonable that your mortgage would be going away. That ladder saved them about $400 per year over a flat $1M 30-year term, while giving them the best coverage for their actual financial responsibilities as they shrunk each year.
A term-life ladder structure is beneficial for new parents in high-cost cities facing rising mortgage and childcare expenses. This approach starts with a five-year term, followed by 10, 15, and ultimately 20-year terms, adapting to their changing financial needs. It offers initial coverage for immediate risks while allowing families to scale up as their financial capacity increases, with lower initial costs making it more accessible.