Your 4-step estate
planning checklist

Everything you own is part of your estate. Start by documenting it completely:

• List the value of your home and physical assets
• Gather bank, brokerage, and retirement statements
• Note the location of safety deposit boxes
• List all insurance policies and their cash values
• List all liabilities including mortgages and debts

Prepare for your attorney meeting by answering the key questions that will shape your plan:

• Who inherits your assets and in what proportion?
• Who is guardian of your minor children?
• Who manages your finances if you are incapacitated?
• What are your healthcare wishes if you cannot communicate them?

Work with your attorney to formalise the plan through the appropriate legal instruments:

• Draft and execute your will
• Set up any required trusts
• Assign durable powers of attorney
• Update beneficiary designations on accounts and policies

Your estate plan should evolve with your life. Revisit it whenever a significant event occurs:

• Marriage, divorce, or the birth of a child
• Significant changes to your assets or liabilities
• Changes in estate or tax law
• Moving to a different state or country