ESTATE PLANNING QUESTIONNAIRE
Please print this questionnaire, fill it out as best you can, and bring
it with you when you come for your consultation. For more information, please contact us.
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Client |
Spouse or Partner |
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initial) |
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Nickname |
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Street
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Soc. Sec. # |
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Date of Birth |
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Home Phone |
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Work Phone |
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Workplace |
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OK to Call at Work? |
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U.S. Citizen? |
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How Did You Learn of Our Services?
_____1. Referred by _____________________________________
_____2. Office Sign
_____3. Attended Seminar at ______________________________
_____4. Telephone Directory
_____5. Mailing or Brochure
_____7. Other___________________________________________
This Estate Planning
Questionnaire is designed to help you gather information necessary for thoughtful estate
planning, prior to our initial consultation. Please be as thorough as possible in
completing this questionnaire. We will be happy to address any areas of difficulty at
the consultation. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
1. Your First Step to Getting
Started.
Congratulations! You are
taking the important first step of getting organized to begin the process of planning your
estate. Completing all of the steps will help to protect your loved ones and give you
peace of mind. At the free initial consultation we will review information you
provide, discuss our preliminary recommendations, and agree on fees for our services.
2. Choose Professionals
Please provide
information about any of your other advisors we might need to contact.
ADVISOR |
NAME AND BUSINESS |
PHONE |
Tax |
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Insurance |
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Trust Officer |
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Financial |
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Other |
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Other |
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3. Gather Information
Children: List all children (first,
last and middle initial), including and specially noting deceased children, illegitimate
and adopted children, and any non-U.S. citizens:
NAME |
FULL ADDRESS |
BIRTH
DATE |
PARENT(S) (H/W/BOTH) |
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Grandchildren: List all grandchildren
(first, last and middle initial), including and specially noting deceased grandchildren,
illegitimate and adopted grandchildren, and any non-U.S. citizens:
NAME |
FULL ADDRESS |
BIRTH DATE |
NAME OF PARENT |
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Home and Other Real Estate (Bring Deeds)
DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION |
TITLED IN WHOSE NAME |
PURCHASE PRICE |
CURRENT VALUE |
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TOTAL |
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Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds
DESCRIPTION |
TITLED IN WHOSE NAME |
PURCHASE PRICE |
CURRENT VALUE |
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Bank Accounts and CDs
DESCRIPTION |
TITLED IN WHOSE NAME |
TYPE OF ACCOUNT |
CURRENT VALUE |
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Pension Plans, IRAs, 401(k)s, Profit Sharing
DESCRIPTION |
TITLED IN WHOSE NAME |
BENEFICIARY |
CURRENT VALUE |
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Business or Partnership Interests
DESCRIPTION |
PURCHASE PRICE |
CURRENT VALUE |
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Significant Collections Such As Antiques, Art, Coins, Stamps, Jewelry
DESCRIPTION |
PURCHASE PRICE |
CURRENT VALUE |
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Other Personal Property Such as Vehicles, Furniture, and Furnishings
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION |
CURRENT VALUE |
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TOTAL |
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Money Owed to You
DESCRIPTION |
CURRENT VALUE |
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Life Insurance and Annuities (Bring Policies)
COMPANY |
POLICY OWNER |
BENEFICIARY |
CASH VALUE |
DEATH BENEFIT |
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Mortgages, Loans, and Other Substantial Debts Owed
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION |
CURRENT VALUE |
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Current Income
DESCRIBE SOURCE AND AMOUNT OF YEARLY
INCOME: |
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TOTAL |
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Current Estate Planning Position
ISSUE |
RESPONSE |
| Existing Estate Planning Documents: List any estate
planning documents you and your spouse or partner now have, regardless of how long ago
they were executed. Bring copies or originals to your consultation. |
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| Taxable Gifts: If you or your spouse or partner have
made taxable gifts or filed gift tax returns in past years, give details and bring copies
of documentation to your consultation. |
Yes / No / Describe |
| Trust Beneficiary: If you or your spouse or partner
benefit from any trusts or similar arrangements, please give full details and bring copies
of documentation to your consultation. |
Yes / No / Describe |
Issue |
Response |
| Powers of Appointment: If you or your spouse or
partner have a Power of Appointment in a Will or Trust created by someone else over any
part of their estate, please describe and bring copies to your consultation. |
Yes / No / Describe |
| Divorce: Are you contemplating divorce or breakup of
your primary relationship? |
Yes / No |
| Special Needs: Describe any illness, handicap,
addiction, domestic situation or other problem involving any beneficiary which might
affect your estate plan. |
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| Prior Marriages or Relationships: Tell us about any
former marriages or relationships resulting in children. How and when did they end? Are
there any court orders benefiting any former spouse and children. If so provide copies. |
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| Prenuptial Agreement: Do you have a prenuptial
agreement. If so, provide a copy. |
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| Health and Insurability: Describe your general state
of health, specifically noting any major health problems and insurability. |
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| Future Events: Do you anticipate any
future events such as inheritances, illness, or other matters that would affect your
estate planning ? |
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4. Establish Goals
M ost people want to provide for beneficiaries, avoid unnecessary
taxes, and avoid the expense, delay, and publicity of probate court proceedings. Please
tell us in detail about your estate planning goals and your motivations for undertaking
this work. Please print out our Estate
Planning Checklist which may help you articulate your goals.
5. Decisions About Your Estate
Plan
Tools of Your Estate Plan?
The tools of estate planning are documents. Common estate planning documents include: Wills
(to choose Who Gets What at death and who will be executor of your
estate and who will be guardian of
minor children); Powers of Attorney (to choose someone to handle your affairs); Trusts
(Modern substitute for traditional wills which contain the Who Gets What provisions
placed in wills, can avoid probate court, and complete settlement of estates with less
cost, greater speed, and more privacy than through wills and probate); Health
Directives ( Includes a Living Will to state wishes if terminally ill and a Health
Care Power of Attorney to choose someone to make health care decisions for you if you are
incapacitated).
Who Gets What?
Special Gifts: You may give
specific items or sums of money to individuals, organizations, or charities.
Beneficiaries: Who
is to get the rest of your estate? You may designate equal or unequal shares, percentages,
or dollar amounts. (Examples: To my spouse if living, otherwise to my children equally; To
my children in equal shares; 50% to x, 25% to y, and 25% to z; etc.)
Alternate Beneficiaries
Who is to get the rest of your estate if you (and your spouse or partner) outlive the
beneficiaries named above?
Manage Assets to Protect Beneficiaries
No one is happy with the thought of a beneficiary wasting an inheritance.
You can direct that a beneficiaries inheritance be placed in a trust and
distributed according to your instructions. There is a
clear need to manage assets intended for minor children and adults with poor financial
judgment or mental disabilities.
MANAGEMENT FOR BENEFICIARIES DESIRED |
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WHO’S IN CHARGE?
Choose carefully who will carry out your estate plan, because those chosen will be
making decisions for you in your absence. Do not name any person unless you have full
confidence in their honesty and good judgment. You may name two or more people to act
together. Usual choices include yourself (for trustee), spouse or partner, adult children,
and trusted friends. Professionals such as bank trust officers or lawyers can be chosen to
work alone or teamed with a family member, particularly if special expertise or neutrality
is desired. We suggest you name alternates, but this is not required. Avoid choices which
might lead to family feuds or resentment.
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CLIENT |
SPOUSE OR PARTNER |
| Trustee(s) In Charge of Trust Now |
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| Successor Trustee(s) At Incapacity or
Death |
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1st Choice |
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2nd Choice |
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3rd Choice |
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| Executor Settles any Probate Estate |
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1st Choice |
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2nd Choice |
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3rd Choice |
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| Guardian for Children Raises
Children/Handles $ |
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1st Choice |
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2nd Choice |
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3rd Choice |
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| Agent for Power of Atty Handles Your
Affairs |
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1st Choice |
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2nd Choice |
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3rd Choice |
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| Agent for Health Directives Makes
Decisions at Incapacity |
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1st Choice |
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2nd Choice |
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3rd Choice |
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6. Prepare and Sign Documents
After information is gathered and planning decisions are made, we will prepare draft
documents. Our usual goal is to have draft documents ready for your review in about two
weeks. We respond more quickly in urgent situations. You will have an opportunity to
review the documents thoroughly at home. You should contact us in advance of any scheduled
appointment about any changes or editing of the documents. Documents are generally signed
at our office. We can go to other locations for signing if needed.
Once the documents are signed, we ordinarily prepare a portfolio for you containing
copies of the signed documents. We will provide extra copies of any health directives and
suggest that they be filed with your usual health care providers.
7. Retitle Assets as Needed
Your initial estate plan is not complete until you retitle assets
and make beneficiary designations in accordance with the plan. If you have a trust and
wish to avoid probate, it is necessary to change the name on your assets to that of the
trust or to otherwise assure that the assets will pass outside of probate. It may be
advisable to change ownership or beneficiary designations even if you do not have a trust.
8. Periodic Review
You should give thought to your estate plan every year, asking
yourself if there have been changes in your personal or financial situation which in any
way affect your estate planning.
Return to Getting Started
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