Estate Planning Simplified - Estate Planning Documents Checklist

After over a decade helping families plan their estates with our simple to use forms, we are now offering a LIFE PLANNING PACKAGE, which includes all the essential guides and documents. Never before have we offered such a great value at such a reasonable price.

Planning your estate is extremely important, regardless of your age or wealth. Without an estate plan, unexpected life events such as an accident, illness, or death, can involve much more burden, expense, and delay than necessary. An already stressful event may turn into a nightmare, with unintended consequences. Luckily, estate planning forms can prevent a disaster, and minimize the headaches you and your loved ones will face if an unfortunate event occurs.

Estate Planning Basics Legal Documents For Estate Planning

Our LIFE PLANNING PACKAGE is a top quality package, that's been designed by attorneys to comply with the laws of your state. In addition to our easy to follow estate planning guide and helpful worksheets, this package includes the indispensable legal forms you should have on your estate planning checklist. The LIFE PLANNING PACKAGE includes the following:

Last Will and Testament Last Will And Testament Checklists

Did you know your family may need to go to court if you die without a Last Will and Testament in place? A Last Will and Testament is a vital part of your estate plan. Some people think that you don't need one unless you have significant assets. However, even something as simple as a home or a car could be come a contested battle. A Last Will helps ensure your wishes are respected when passing your property onto heirs. Without a Will, state probate laws of intestacy will be used to distribute your assets and sentimental heirlooms. This can cause property to go to unintended beneficiaries, and lead to family conflict. Your estate tax may also be significantly reduced by properly drafting a will. Even if you don't have many assets, a will is the only way to ensure that your final wishes will be heard. There's no need to worry though, our exclusive LIFE PLANNING PACKAGE includes this attorney-reviewed Last Will and Testament, including these additional provisions:

1. Appointment of a guardian for children or dependents.
2. Your wishes for burial, cremation, or anatomical donation, and instructions for final services.
3. Creation of a testamentary trust, which can manage assets after your death according to your instructions, rather than distributing them outright. This can be advantageous when you have young heirs who are too immature to manage an inheritance. The trustee may manage the assets until the heir reaches a certain age, or distribute assets over time, according to the conditions you specify.

Power of Attorney Last Will And Testament Checklist

Your LIFE PLANNING PACKAGE also includes this important document. Estate planning law allows you to use this legal form to appoint an agent to carry out your needs. This is essential if you became incapacitated. Your agent can sign papers and take necessary actions for you when you're unable to attend to matters personally. This form is used to avoid the expensive and time-consuming court process of creating a guardianship. Smart probate estate planning requires the completion of this critical form.

Multiple forms of a Power Of Attorney are included in this exclusive LIFE PLANNING PACKAGE:

• You may be wondering "what is a durable power of attorney". This type of POA form stays effective even after you become incapacitated. A nondurable form will be voided if you're mentally or physically incapacitated, and can't effectively make decisions or sign papers on your own.
• A financial power of attorney can be used to handle banking and related matters. For example, it can be used to write and deposit checks, so that your rent, mortgage, and other important bills can continue to be paid on time.
• A general power of attorney can grant authority for a broad range of subject matters. Its use can also be confined to the time periods and/or circumstances you describe.

Living Will Estate Planning Guidelines

Our LIFE PLANNING PACKAGE also includes this essential form. It expresses your medical treatment and life support preferences, so they can be followed if you're unable to communicate. This form is often confused with a Last Will and Testament. However, a Living Will form deals only with carrying out your medical care preferences while you're still alive. Leaving clear written guidelines for others to follow will save unnecessary anguish and legal wrangling for your family and loved ones during an already stressful situation.

These online legal forms are governed by state laws, which vary by state. Our package will be delivered with your state-specific versions. In some states, it may be called a medical health care advance directive. Many states also allow the appointment of a medical power of attorney to deal with care providers on your behalf, and see that your stated preferences are carried out.

A living will form is simple to fill out. You don't need any medical expertise. You just check or initial the appropriate options, and may include any special instructions you wish to add before signing the form. Printable living will forms can be used to specify your preferences for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), artificial hydration and nutrition, pain medication, dialysis, anatomical donation, visitors, and more.

We don't like to think about what will happen if an unfortunate event occurs. The essential online legal forms in this package can make sure that if it does, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that you're prepared. You've ensured that the negative consequences will be minimized, and your intentions and preferences can be carried out as you wish. It's important to reduce the cost and delay of court proceedings, as well as the hardship endured by your family and loved ones.

You owe it to yourself and those you care about to make sure your estate planning needs are taken care of. With our professionally drafted package, it's never been easier or more convenient. This package has been reviewed by attorneys and is designed to fit the needs of most Americans. This package saves you and your family almost $100 and be personalized for your family needs. These estate planning documents can be filled out from the comfort and convenience of your own computer, at a very affordable price. However, estate planning tools are only effective if you take advantage of them before it's too late.

Estate Planning Forms FAQs Estate Planning Forms For Attorneys

What is a living will used for? Estate Documents Checklist

This form, also called a healthcare advance directive, is used to express your wishes for medical care and treatment if you become unable to communicate. You can include preferences for CPR, life support, medications, anatomical donations, and more. It's one of the vital estate planning forms everyone should have. Some forms include a medical power of attorney, so that you can appoint an agent to manage your treatment with your care providers, according to your stated preferences.

Do printable living will forms need to be filed in court? Estate Planning Document List

No, your advance directive isn't required to be filed in court records. However, medical health care providers can gain immediate access to your directive in many states that have an optional registry for storing the document. If your form includes a medical power of attorney, a copy should be given to your health care agent. Its location among your estate planning documents shouldn't be a secret. It's important for someone to have instructions for where to find necessary documents in a crisis. An estate planning checklist can be created, with a list of important papers and information and their location.

Power of Attorney Estate Planning Document Checklist

What is a durable power of attorney? Estate Planning Checklist Template

A durable POA form is used to appoint an agent who can handle your affairs when you're unavailable to handle matters personally. You may be injured, ill, out of town, or just find it more efficient or convenient to have another attend to your affairs. A durable form stays effective even after you become mentally or physically incapacitated, and can't effectively make decisions or sign papers on your own. A nondurable form will become void if you're disabled, such as being unconscious, sedated, or suffering from old age dementia.

If the estate plan doesn't include a durable power of attorney form, a guardianship will need to be created by the court to allow someone else to handle your affairs if you're incapacitated. Guardianship is an expensive and time-consuming process, which be avoided by simply signing this form.

What is a financial power of attorney used for? Estate Planning Checklist Form

This is one of the estate planning tools that's limited to dealing with financial transactions, such as cashing and depositing checks, and other money matters. Estate planning basics include this form to prevent damage to your credit rating, and negative consequences such as eviction and foreclosure, when you're unable to handle your financial affairs.

Last Will and Testament Estate Planning Checklist

If my probate estate has more debts than assets, do I need a will? Estate Plan Checklist

Creating a will is essential, regardless of the size of your assets. It's part of the estate planning basics everyone needs. Without one, unintended and disastrous consequences may occur. Inheritance planning is only one aspect of a will. It can also be used to name a guardian for children and dependents, give burial or cremation instructions, and more.

Without a will, probate law will distribute your estate according to marriage and family connections described in intestate distribution rules. Therefore, close friends, caretakers, and loved ones who aren't related or married to you will be unrecognized. Examples of unintended consequences from not having a will include:

1. An estranged spouse that your never divorced causes those closest to you to be disinherited.
2. Your significant other is evicted from the home you shared together by a long-lost relative.
3. You have no say in who cares for your children or dependents, and their welfare is decided by court strangers.

Probate estate planning requires everyone to have a valid last will form. It's the only way to make sure your final wishes are carried out.

Is my last will form private? Estate Paperwork Checklist

Estate planning law requires your will to be filed in court after your die. At that point, it will become part of public records. Before your death, you're not required to let anyone know the terms of the will.

Planning a will may consider making a pourover will. A pourover will and trust are created to work together. After a living trust form is filled out, the will mentions the trust and "pours" any unidentified or after-acquired assets into the trust. The trust is typically not required to be filed as a public document, so it offers a measure of privacy. Plus, a living trust form allows you to control the conditions and time for distribution after your death, rather than an outright distribution upon death.

If a will contest is a concern, there are steps you can take to minimize the chances of a challenge to the will:

1. A no contest clause can be inserted, negating a gift to anyone who brings a legal action to challenge the will.
2. The signing of the will can be videotaped. You should affirm that you are of sound mind, aware of your estate and all potential heirs, and signing of your own free will, without duress. By including video evidence that your will was signed with the proper legal mental capacity, the threat of a challenge to its validity is greatly reduced. You may also want to visit a doctor to have medical records supporting your soundness of mind.
3. Use online legal forms that have been professionally drafted according to the laws of your state of residence.

The last will and testament forms we offer are state-specific, and we have the right type available to fit every personal situation. Our will forms have been created by attorneys, and are updated regularly to keep current with the latest changes in the law. Our estate planning services include preparation services at a very affordable price, as well as our top quality, easy-to-use form packages.