Estate Documents
See what each core document does, when it operates, who controls it, how it interacts with other documents, and when to review it.
Every guide opens with a simple explanation, then goes deeper into mechanics, tradeoffs, examples, state differences and sources.
Guides in this section
Look up a term-
Start with
Financial Power of Attorney
A financial power of attorney authorizes an agent to handle specified property and financial matters during the principal's life; durability determines whether authority survives incapacity under governing law.
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Advance Health Care Directive and Living Will
An advance directive records health-care instructions and, depending on the state's form, may also appoint an agent; a living will typically addresses treatment preferences in defined circumstances.
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Beneficiary Designations
A beneficiary designation directs a contract or account at death and usually controls that asset independently of the will, subject to the plan terms and governing law.
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Cryptocurrency and Digital-Asset Inheritance
Cryptocurrency inheritance requires three plans that work together: legal authority, a secure method for authorized people to locate and control the asset, and records sufficient to administer and report the transfer without exposing private keys.
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Digital Assets and Online Accounts
Digital-asset planning coordinates legal consent, fiduciary authority, provider tools, security, and practical instructions for online accounts, devices, cryptocurrency, files, and intellectual property.
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HIPAA Authorization
A HIPAA authorization can permit specified people to receive protected health information; it supports communication but does not itself grant medical decision-making authority.
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Health Care Power of Attorney
A health care power of attorney names an agent to make health decisions when the conditions in the document and state law are met.
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Transfer-on-Death and Payable-on-Death Designations
TOD and POD arrangements can transfer eligible securities, deposit accounts, vehicles, or real estate outside probate where governing law and the institution recognize them.
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Trust Funding
Trust funding is the process of making the trust the owner or effective beneficiary of selected property using the method appropriate to each asset.