The following form is to fill in before you see your attorney for your estate planning. It will save an hour or so of time in which you answer questions if you first prepare the following answers to the questions propounded but simply filling in the form will not avoid the necessity of meeting and conferring with counsel. Any good estate planner will still have many questions to propound about your needs and wishes and the unique circumstances in your family that may require particular plans.

Be sure to read the articles on this website on wills and trusts as well as on living wills before answering the questions below. Once you have filled in the form, either fax it to your attorney before the meeting or take it with you. Each person needing a Will or Trust should fill in their own form.

 

INFORMATION NEEDED FOR WILL, TRUST AND RELATED DOCUMENTS

 

Please provide the following information to assist us in analyzing what is the best estate plan for your particular circumstances and in preparing the relevant documents:

 

1. PERSONAL INFORMATION:

CLIENT

Name:
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Address:
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Citizenship:
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Business name and address:
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Social security number:
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Phone number(s) ___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Income: present and projected
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Liabilities: secured and unsecured obligations
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

3.EXISTING ESTATE PLAN DOCUMENTS, IF ANY: (wills, trusts)
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

4.TRUST: (Issues to discuss and determine)
Tax Savings/Probate Avoidance Important? (Estates over one million dollars must take into account estate tax issues.) _________________________

Trustees and successor trustees and powers of trustees: (Names and Addresses of trustee and at least two successor trustees)
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Distributive wishes: Income: beneficiaries and successor or alternate beneficiaries
Principal beneficiaries and successor or alternate beneficiaries
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Age or other restrictions to distributions__________________________________

Assets to be placed in the trust
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

4. TESTAMENTARY WISHES:

Specific gifts:
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Personal belongings:
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

Extent of Power:

Springing (i.e. upon incapacity) or Immediate:_______________

Advanced Health Care Directive: Name of Agent and alternate agents
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Marital Property Agreement
Community and separate property of spouses
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Special Concerns for Estate Planning (sick elderly parent; disabled child?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Property abroad? Desire for Charitable giving? Etc?:
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________