Complete Checklist

Estate Planning Documents: What You Actually Need

Estate planning involves more than just a will. Here's the complete list of documents, what each one does, and which ones you actually need.

The short answer

A complete estate plan has 6 core documents: a living trust (if you own property), pour-over will, healthcare directive, financial power of attorney, HIPAA authorization, and certificate of trust. Most people need all of them. The whole package protects you while alive and your family after you're gone.

Quick checklist

  • □Revocable Living Trust
  • □Pour-Over Will
  • □Healthcare Directive / Living Will
  • □Financial Power of Attorney
  • □HIPAA Authorization
  • □Certificate of Trust
  • □Property Deed (if you own real estate)
  • □Beneficiary Designations (retirement accounts, life insurance)

What each document does

1. Revocable Living Trust

The cornerstone of probate avoidance. A trust holds your assets while you're alive and transfers them directly to beneficiaries when you die — no court involved.

You need this if:

You own real estate or have significant assets

What it does:

Avoids probate, maintains privacy, enables quick transfer

2. Pour-Over Will

A safety net for your trust. It catches any assets you forgot to put in the trust and "pours them over" into it after your death. Also names guardians for minor children.

You need this if:

You have a living trust (always pair them)

What it does:

Catches unfunded assets, names guardians for kids

3. Healthcare Directive / Living Will

Specifies your medical wishes if you can't speak for yourself. Do you want life support? Feeding tubes? Pain management over consciousness? This document answers those questions.

Also names a healthcare agent — someone who can make medical decisions on your behalf.

You need this if:

You're an adult (everyone needs this)

What it does:

Specifies medical wishes, names healthcare agent

4. Financial Power of Attorney

Names someone to handle your finances if you become incapacitated. Without this, your family may need to go to court for guardianship — expensive and time-consuming.

You need this if:

You're an adult (everyone needs this)

What it does:

Lets someone pay bills, manage accounts if you can't

5. HIPAA Authorization

Allows your designated people to access your medical records. Without this, HIPAA privacy laws may prevent your family from getting information they need.

You need this if:

You're an adult (everyone needs this)

What it does:

Lets family access your medical information

6. Certificate of Trust

A summary document that proves your trust exists without revealing all the details. Banks, title companies, and financial institutions accept this instead of the full trust.

You need this if:

You have a living trust

What it does:

Proves trust exists without exposing private details

Don't forget these

These aren't "documents" you create, but they're part of a complete estate plan:

Beneficiary designations

Update beneficiaries on retirement accounts (401k, IRA), life insurance, and POD/TOD accounts. These transfer outside your trust.

Property deeds

If you own real estate, transfer it into your trust with a new deed. This is the most important step after creating the trust.

Account ownership updates

Retitle bank accounts, brokerage accounts, and other assets in the trust's name.

Digital asset access

Document passwords, accounts, and wishes for digital assets (email, social media, crypto, etc.)

What you probably don't need

  • ✗Irrevocable trust — Only needed for complex tax planning or asset protection (estates over $13M, special circumstances)
  • ✗Multiple trusts — Most families do fine with one revocable living trust
  • ✗Standalone will (without trust) — If you own property, a trust is better. The will alone still goes through probate.

Get all 6 documents in one package

Mantle includes everything: living trust, pour-over will, healthcare directive, financial POA, certificate of trust, and property deed. Complete estate plan in 30 minutes.

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$995 for everything. Online notarization included.