For different estate planning documents you will need to gather different types of information. Below are typical legal and financial accounts, and the types of documentation you should get together to be best organized.
For a printable checklist of all the documents you might need to collect, use our resource Checklist: Documents to Organize and Share.
Will
- Copy of the Will
- Copies of previous versions of the will
- Name of attorney or law firm that helped create the will, if applicable
To learn more about wills, see our article Writing a Will.
Trusts
- Declarations of trust or Trust agreements
- Name of attorney or law firm that helped create the trust, if applicable
- Bank accounts associated with the trust
To learn more about trusts, see our article Trusts.
Power of attorney
- Name of the person appointed to Power of Attorney
- Power of attorney documentation
- Name of attorney or law firm that helped create the POA, if applicable
To learn more about naming a power of attorney, see our article Naming a Health Care Proxy.
Safe deposit box
- Location of safe deposit box
- Safe deposit box keys or location of safe deposit box keys
Any professionals who have helped
- Lawyer
- Accountant
- Insurance agent
To gather for each person:
- Name
- Contact information
For a printable checklist of all the documents you might need to collect, use our resource Checklist: Documents to Organize and Share.
