Free printable
Your estate plan, one checkbox at a time
A two-page checklist that takes you from “we should really do this” to a signed plan: what to gather, who to pick, which documents you need, how to sign them, and what to do after.
Free to download and print. No email or sign-up needed. PDF, 2 pages, letter size.
Not knowing where to start is one of the most common reasons people put this off. In Trust & Will’s 2026 survey of people without a will or trust, “a simple checklist” was the most common answer to what would make getting started easier (19%). This one is written in plain language and works whether you use an online service or an attorney.
What’s inside
- Gather what you have: the accounts, policies and papers to find first
- Pick your people: executor, guardian for kids, and who makes money and medical decisions if you can’t
- Choose your documents: the four most families need, when a living trust makes sense, and when to see a lawyer
- Sign it the right way: witnesses, notary and where to keep the originals
- Finish and keep it current: moving things into a trust, beneficiary forms, and when to review
- “My plan at a glance”: a fill-in page to keep with your originals
Want to know what each document actually does before you start? Our guide to essential estate planning documents explains the will, living trust, powers of attorney, health care directive and beneficiary forms in plain terms.
The checklist
1. Gather what you have
About 30 minutes. A list on paper is fine.
- Bank and credit union accounts (where, and whose name is on each)
- Retirement accounts: 401(k), 403(b), IRA, pension
- Life insurance policies, including any through work
- Your home or land: the deed, and how the owners are listed
- Car titles, and any debts (mortgage, loans, credit cards)
- Digital accounts and passwords: where they're kept, not the passwords themselves
- Any will, trust or power of attorney you already have, and where the original is
2. Pick your people
Ask each person first, and pick a backup for each role.
- Executor: the person who settles your estate
- Guardian for children under 18, plus a backup
- Who manages money your children inherit, and until what age
- Financial agent: who handles your money and bills if you can't
- Health care agent: who makes medical decisions if you can't
- Who gets what: family, friends, charities, pets
3. Choose your documents
Most families need the first four. A trust is the big decision.
- A will (each adult signs their own)
- A financial power of attorney
- A health care directive or health care power of attorney
- Beneficiary forms updated on insurance and retirement accounts
- Living trust? Consider one if you own a home, own property in more than one state, or want to keep things out of probate. Take the 5-question quiz
- See a lawyer if: special needs family member, blended family, business, large estate, or worries someone will challenge your plan
4. Sign it the right way
An online will or trust is only valid if you sign it the way your state requires.
- Check your state's rules: number of witnesses, notary, self-proving affidavit (find your state)
- Use witnesses who don't inherit anything under your will
- Sign powers of attorney and health care forms as your state requires (often with a notary)
- Keep the signed originals somewhere safe and easy to find, such as a fireproof box
- Tell your executor and agents where the originals are
5. Finish and keep it current
The step people skip.
- If you have a trust: move your home and accounts into it (new deed, retitled accounts)
- Check that beneficiary forms match your plan
- Give your health care agent a copy of your health care directive
- Review your plan every few years, and after: a birth or adoption, marriage or divorce, buying a home, a move to another state, a diagnosis, or a death in the family
Not sure if you need a will or a trust?
That’s the biggest decision on the list. Our 5-question will-or-trust quiz gives you a starting point in about two minutes, and every state guide explains your state’s signing rules and costs.
Planning because something changed?
New baby or adoption
Name a guardian and protect money your kids might inherit.
Read the guide →Just bought a home
Will, living trust or deed: how your house passes to your family.
Read the guide →Getting married
What changes for your spouse, your old will and your beneficiary forms.
Read the guide →Moving to a new state
What to review in your will, trust and powers of attorney after a move.
Read the guide →After a diagnosis or health scare
What to do first when time feels short.
Read the guide →Caring for aging parents
How to start the conversation and help your parents plan.
Read the guide →Sources
- Trust & Will, 2026 Estate Planning Report (survey of 5,000 U.S. adults by Talker Research; Trust & Will is the company we earn commissions from, so weigh it with that in mind): among people without a will or trust, a simple checklist was the most-cited thing that would make getting started easier (19%).
This is general information, not legal advice. Estate planning law is different in every state and changes over time. If your situation is complicated, or you’re unsure whether a document will work for you, talk with an estate planning attorney licensed in your state. Your state or local bar association’s lawyer referral service is a good place to start (the American Bar Association lists them).