free form estate planning married couple checklist

Make copies of marriage and birth certificates.

Compile a list of heirs, next of kin and beneficiaries.

Check the contents of any safe deposit boxes (requires a death certificate, executor’s appointment in the will, rental agreement and photo ID).If necessary, obtain letters testamentary for personal representative, issued by the court that proves the authority to administer the provisions of the deceased’s will.Make copies of dated obituary notice and/or newspaper articles, to serve as further proof of death.Review will with an attorney to determine if probate is neeed.Find the original will (must be original).Here is a practical checklist for a personal representative's duties: The personal representative's job is made much harder if information has not been pulled together nor decisions made in advance. A personal representative can be a spouse, adult child, a legally-appointed friend or relative, or a trust company named by the decedent in their will or trust ( decedent means the person who has died). One way to convince people to make these arrangements is to examine the many responsibilities an estate's personal representative has to carry out.Ī personal representative (often called an executor) is the person that will handle everything related to your estate after you are gone.

They don’t have wills or trusts, advance medical directives or pre-need funeral planning in place before there’s a death in the family. More than 70% of adults avoid preparing for end-of-life realities.

Free form estate planning married couple checklist