Estate Planning Resources
Getting It Together: An Estate Planning Checklist
A practical resource for organizing the information your family may need.
Estate planning is about more than signing legal documents. Once your will and powers of attorney are in place, it is also helpful to make sure the people you trust can locate the information they may need if you become unable to manage your affairs or after your death.
Our Getting It Together checklist is designed to help you organize important personal, legal, financial, household, family, and digital information in one place.
It is not an intake form and you do not need to complete it before meeting with our office. Instead, use it as an ongoing organizational resource after your estate planning consultation.
Use the checklist at your own pace and update it as your circumstances change.
Why this checklist matters
Even a carefully prepared estate plan can be harder for loved ones to carry out if they do not know where important documents, accounts, contacts, keys, policies, or instructions are located.
This checklist can help you create a clearer roadmap for the people you trust.
Personal Documents
- Birth certificate
- Social Security card
- Marriage or divorce records
- Military discharge records
- Passport and photo identification
Legal Documents
- Will
- Financial power of attorney
- Health care power of attorney
- Trust documents, if any
- Deeds and property records
Financial Documents
- Bank and investment account list
- Retirement accounts and beneficiary designations
- Life, health, and long-term care insurance policies
- Mortgages, loans, and other debts
- Recent tax returns
Business Documents
- Operating or partnership agreements
- Ownership and succession documents
- Key contracts and leases
- Business account and advisor contacts
Funeral Arrangements
- Burial or cremation preferences
- Prepaid arrangements or plots
- Service preferences
- People to be notified
Minor Children
- Preferred guardians and alternates
- Schools, providers, and routines
- Medical information and insurance
- Funds set aside for their care
Pet Instructions
- Caretaker for each pet
- Veterinarian and medical needs
- Feeding and care routine
- Funds set aside for care
Digital Assets & Access
- Email and phone accounts
- Financial and bill-pay logins
- Photo, cloud, and social media accounts
- Where passwords are stored and who can reach them
This checklist does not replace your estate plan
The checklist is an organizational resource. It does not replace a will, financial power of attorney, health care power of attorney, trust, beneficiary designation, or other legal document.
Protect Your Personal Information
This checklist may help you identify sensitive personal, legal, financial, and account information. Keep completed copies in a secure location.
Do not send passwords, Social Security numbers, full bank account numbers, or other highly sensitive information through ordinary email.
If you need to provide confidential information to Hamrick & Galanis, contact our office about an appropriate secure method.
Have questions about your estate plan?
More in the Resource Center.