The Estate Plan Module
The core legal documents and named roles that direct the estate — the will, trusts, powers of attorney, and directives, the estate professionals, beneficiary-designation coordination, the trust inventory, and charitable bequests.
Text file — the flexible one. Use it as-is, open it in any editor, or paste it into an AI tool to reshape the blank form to fit your family: rename a field, add a row, drop one you don't need.
Print / PDF — the ready-to-use one. Print it and fill it in by hand, or choose Save as PDF and complete it in your own offline PDF app. Either way it stays with you — the finished Secure Guide template goes inside your Vault.
One rule: only ever give an AI tool the blank template. Never paste your real information — passwords, account numbers, anything you'd keep secret — into an AI tool, an online service, or anywhere outside your own Vault. Customizing an empty form is fine; filling it in happens privately, offline. That's the same rule this site follows: nothing sensitive ever leaves your hands.
Secure Guide Starter Template
This template belongs in The Secure Guide, stored within The Vault. Review at every estate plan update and every annual FIRM review.
| Document | Date Executed | Attorney / Preparer | Storage Location | Copy With | Last Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Role | Firm | Phone | Last Contact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Name | Contact | Document Where Named |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account / Policy | Institution | Current Beneficiary | Contingent Beneficiary | Last Reviewed | Aligned with Trust / Will |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and annuities supersede the will. Review designations at every estate plan update and at every annual FIRM review.
| Trust Name | Type | Purpose | Key Assets | Trustee | Successor Trustee | Document Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
For trusts as operating structures and entity documentation, see the Entities Module.
Special-purpose trusts — including a special-needs trust for a dependent, or a pet trust providing for the care of an animal (flagged in the Pet Information and Care Module) — are documented here as estate instruments and drafted with your attorney.
| Organization | Legal Name | EIN | Bequest Type | Amount / Percentage | Document Where Specified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Confirm legal name and EIN for every named charitable organization. See the Philanthropy Module.
Where gift tax returns (Form 709), trust documentation, and charitable contribution records are retained (the Tax Planning archive). See the Tax Planning and Documentation Module for the full retention schedule.
Family Guide Starter Template
This template belongs in The Family Guide. It summarizes the plan, names the attorney, and gives the order of first calls.
| Document | Purpose | Who Is Named |
|---|---|---|
Name, firm, and phone. This attorney holds copies of the will, trust, and related documents; contact them first for any questions about the estate.
The full first-calls list is in the Communications section. For estate matters: contact the attorney, then the financial advisor, then the executor — in that order, before taking any other action.
Certain accounts and policies pass directly to named beneficiaries outside the will; these designations are documented in The Secure Guide. Do not assume all assets transfer through the will.
Optional closing message in the planner's own voice — that everything was organized with care, the named people are trusted, and if something is unclear to call the attorney.