Estate Planning Documents Checklist
A basic estate plan usually includes a will, a durable financial power of attorney, a health care power of attorney or proxy, and a living will or advance directive. Many people also use a living trust. Just as important are up-to-date beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance, and an inventory of assets, accounts and digital logins your family can find.
Use this checklist to see which documents you have, which need updating, and what to bring to an estate planning lawyer.
Download the printable checklist (PDF): free, one or two pages, made to print and fill in by hand.
Core documents
- ☐ Will, naming an executor and guardians for minor children
- ☐ Durable financial power of attorney
- ☐ Health care power of attorney or proxy
- ☐ Living will or advance directive
- ☐ HIPAA authorization
- ☐ Living trust, if you use one, and records of assets transferred into it
Beneficiary designations
- ☐ Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, pension)
- ☐ Life insurance policies
- ☐ Bank accounts with payable-on-death designations
- ☐ Brokerage accounts with transfer-on-death designations
- ☐ Confirm primary and backup beneficiaries are current
Asset inventory
- ☐ Real estate and how it is titled
- ☐ Bank, investment and retirement accounts
- ☐ Business interests
- ☐ Vehicles and valuable personal property
- ☐ Debts, mortgages and loans
- ☐ Insurance policies
Practical information
- ☐ Where original documents are stored
- ☐ Contacts for your lawyer, accountant and financial advisor
- ☐ Digital accounts and how to access them
- ☐ Funeral and burial wishes
- ☐ Instructions for pets
Tips
- Review your plan after marriage, divorce, a birth, a death or a move to another state.
- Beneficiary designations usually override what a will says.
- Will signing rules are set by state law; a lawyer can make sure yours is valid.
Official resources
- IRS: Retirement topics, beneficiary
- IRS: Estate tax
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Managing someone else's money
This checklist is general information, not legal advice, and it is not a legal form. Rules and deadlines vary by state; a licensed attorney can tell you what applies to your situation. Find a lawyer near you.
Sources
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This article is general legal information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws differ by state and change over time; talk to a licensed attorney in your state about your situation.