Estate Planning Checklist

Before consulting with an attorney about your estate, it would be helpful to both you and your attorney if you review the checklist below and complete an asset inventory form. Each item should be considered and the checklist should be shown to your attorney. Rate each item on a scale from 1 to 10, with a 10 being very important to you. Remember, your estate plan must be customized for your needs -- not somebody else's.

1. ______ Minimize estate taxes
2. ______ Avoid probate
3. ______ Provide for children of previous marriage
4. ______ Plan for my possible disability
5. ______ Provide for charitable causes
6. ______ Disinherit a natural heir
7. ______ Make gifts to people during my life
8. ______ Provide for a handicapped person
9. ______ Protect heirs from losing their inheritance
10. ______ Protect heirs from spendthrift tendencies
11. ______ Protect myself against greedy heirs
12. ______ Avoid income tax on my capital gains
13. ______ Provide for a grandchild
14. ______ Avoid costly estate planning costs
15. ______ Get personal items to certain heirs
16. ______ Create more income from my assets
17. ______ Keep my affairs secret
18. ______ Protect my estate against publicity
19. ______ Save my heirs the time and labor of probate
20. ______ Get my parent's affairs in order
21. ______ Provide guardians for minor children
22. ______ Avoid family quarrels over the estate

Return to Getting  Started

• Visit our Acclaimed Estate Planning Education Page
• Intestacy - who will receive your property if you do not have a will
• Free Estate Tax Analysis
• Estate Tax Calculator - how much tax will your estate pay?
• Health Care Proxy
• Estate glossary