Will and Estate Basic Checklist
Generate a checklist of items to include in a basic will
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About Will and Estate Basic Checklist
Get Your Estate Planning Basics in Order
Nobody likes thinking about wills and estate planning. It feels morbid, it feels premature, and it feels like something you can put off until later. But "later" has a way of never arriving, and the consequences of dying without a will - or with an incomplete estate plan - can be devastating for the people you leave behind. The Will and Estate Basic Checklist gives you a clear, actionable starting point for organizing your estate planning, even if you've never thought about it before.
What the Checklist Includes
This isn't a generic "get a will" reminder. The tool generates a detailed checklist covering the key components of basic estate planning. You'll work through sections on:
Inventory of assets - listing your real property, bank accounts, investments, business interests, vehicles, valuable personal property, and digital assets. You can't plan an estate if you don't know what's in it. Beneficiary designations - reviewing and updating beneficiaries on insurance policies, pension accounts, and investment accounts. These designations often override what your will says, so they need to be consistent. Will preparation - the core document that directs how your assets should be distributed. The checklist covers key decisions: executor selection, guardian appointment for minor children, specific bequests, and residuary estate distribution.
Power of attorney - designating someone to make financial and legal decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. Healthcare directive - specifying your wishes for medical treatment if you can't communicate them yourself. Digital estate planning - an increasingly important area covering passwords, online accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, and digital media libraries.
Why Everyone Needs This
You don't need to be wealthy to benefit from estate planning. If you own any property, have any savings, or have dependents, a will and estate basic checklist is relevant to you. Dying intestate (without a will) means the law decides who gets what - and the law's default distribution may not match your wishes at all. In Nigeria, intestacy rules vary depending on the deceased's religion and state of origin, adding another layer of complexity. In other jurisdictions, intestacy can result in lengthy probate processes, family disputes, and significant portions of the estate going to taxes and administrative costs rather than to loved ones.
Who Should Use This Tool?
Young professionals who've just started accumulating assets should use this checklist to take the first step toward estate planning. It doesn't have to be complicated - even a simple will and beneficiary review makes a huge difference. Parents of young children have an urgent reason to plan: appointing a guardian for your children in your will ensures they're cared for by someone you trust, not someone a court selects. Business owners need to plan for what happens to their business interests - without clear instructions, a thriving business can be destroyed by succession disputes.
Older adults revisiting their estate plans after major life changes (marriage, divorce, new grandchildren, property purchases) will find the checklist helps them identify what needs updating. Estate planning attorneys can share it with clients before the first consultation, so clients arrive prepared and the meeting time is used more productively.
Getting Started Is the Hardest Part
The biggest barrier to estate planning isn't cost or complexity - it's inertia. People know they should do it but keep putting it off. This Will and Estate Basic Checklist breaks the task into manageable pieces. You don't have to complete everything in one sitting. Work through a few items today, a few more next week, and before long you'll have a solid foundation that you can take to an estate planning professional for formalization.
The tool is free, requires no account, and keeps all your information in your browser. Start checking off items today - your future self (and your loved ones) will thank you.