The Essential Forms You Need to Complete the Estate Organization Process

The forms in Before I Croak provide simple, practical support for the widest range of estate organization circumstances. Whether you are married or divorced, with or without kids, or have always been single, you will find the framework, guidance, and forms easy to follow and use. 

The book contains a complete list of the items you will need. Many of which will require time to consider carefully. Now you can focus on closing gaps you have in your estate plan, and not worrying about what you need in the first place.

Some forms may not be relevant to everyone, but most are.

Letter to Spouse and Loved Ones

This is a “General Information” sheet with instructions on where and how to find things like a safe deposit box, a home safe, social security numbers, credit cards, passports, and driver's license numbers. You should see this as a set of directions that will save others lots of time.

Contact Information for Advisors

This form contains contact information on your advisors – lawyer, CPA, stockbroker or financial advisor, insurance agent or broker for your life insurance policies, and estate attorney as appropriate. Your executor and trustee should be included too.

Online Account Passwords

Managing your online usernames and passwords is important during your lifetime to ensure accessing your accounts after your death is effortless. To ensure your beneficiaries can access your online accounts, it is crucial to have a plan in place. You can do this with a password manager or use this form.

Inventory of Safe Deposit Box (or Safe)

A safe deposit box is a secure storage solution that can protect important and valuable items such as legal documents, family heirlooms, and valuable jewelry from theft, damage, or loss. Having a safe deposit box can provide peace of mind and ensure your most valuable possessions are protected.

Copies of Deeds and Titles to Cars, Boats, Trailers, Cycles, etc.

This is for copies of all vehicle titles…cars, trucks, boats, trailers, motorcycles, and so on. The originals should be kept in your fireproof safe or safe deposit box. If you have not already, we recommend making sure your spouse appears on the titles too. Make sure it is the “and/or” option.

Balance Sheet and Summary of Accounts

Think of this as your family’s Balance Sheet. It shows who owns what and, in order to avoid probate, that all major assets are titled to a trust. The balance sheet should make clear which assets are owned by which trust. For investments not held in a brokerage account be sure to provide contact information.

Retirement Assets, Copy of Statements

This is where you keep an inventory of your tax-deferred accounts. Your recent annual statements for each of these accounts...IRA’s, 401K, and Keogh. When you’re gone, your spouse will know where they are and how much is in each.

Other Investments

Less common investments go in this form. I am referring to investments in limited liability companies (LLCs), private business interests, and private equity.

Life Insurance Policies and Life Insurance Trust

We are not going to explain the positives or negatives of life insurance – personally, we have staggered term life policies of various durations that begin and end in different years. Nor are we going to discuss whether it should or should not be in a trust. But keeping your life insurance policies organized will help your family benefit from them after your death.

Summary of Gains on Residences

Whether you have lived in your home for many years or moved into a house recently, chances are you made improvements, or are planning to. Items like painting the interior or exterior, a new roof, or a kitchen remodel would qualify. Tracking the information in this form will help you realize the tax benefits associated with improvements like this.

Children’s Trusts

This form is relevant if you have created trusts for your children. Whether or not your estate includes these elements is up to you, but they should be in your Before I Croak binder. Each trust should have a one-page summary that spells out in plain English seven essential pieces of information.

Husband’s and Wife’s Wills and Trusts

Your will, and your spouse’s too, go in this tab. When they are in your Before I Croak binder, updates become a natural part of the annual update process. Your objective is to make sure the wills reflect new family members, changing circumstances, as well as deaths, births, and divorces. Write a short, plain-English summary of each of your wills and the trusts that are created by them if that is the case for you.

Charitable Trust

Do the same thing for your Charitable Trust. Follow the instructions.

Powers of Attorney, also for State of Secondary Residence

This is where to keep Powers of Attorney. If you do not want to be kept on life support, then you have probably executed a living will, and if so, Tab 15 is the place to keep it. This tab is also for your medical and property powers of attorney.

End of Life

Think title to Cemetery Plots, Epitaph, Pallbearers, etc. One’s passing is a major event. So unless you plan on burial at sea, or having your body launched into space, you will likely need a family cemetery plot. If you plan on being cremated, make sure this is in your plan. if you have thought about an obituary or an epitaph, this is where they go.

Time to Take the Next Step

Know that the organization of your estate plan is of utmost importance to your loved ones. Without it, you are imposing on those important to you an arduous, difficult, and emotionally charged task at a time when they should be celebrating your life, not talking about how you dropped the ball organizing it.