Documents to bring to your Estate Planning Consultation
When engaging in estate planning your lawyer will need to review certain documents in order to give you proper legal advice. When formulating an estate plan that deals with businesses or disabled beneficiaries with special needs, the attorney will need more documentation than is discussed here. Most individuals that are meeting an attorney for an initial consultation should bring the following documents/information to the meeting:
- The full legal name (including middle name), address, phone number, date of birth, and relationship (son, daughter, brother, sister) of each person that they wish to be listed in their estate planning documents.
- A copy of the Deed to any real property that they may own (in state or out of state). In Virginia, you receive a deed shortly after you purchase the property, even if you have a mortgage payment.
- The name, age, and relationship of each person that you wish to serve as an Executor and/or Trustee in your estate plan. This would include the names of people you wish to serve as back-up or Successor Trustee.
- The name, age, and relationship of each person you wish to serve as an agent on your Durable Power of Attorney and/or Advance Medical Directive.
- Copies of any existing estate plans you may have (Last Will & Testament, Revocable Trust, etc.).
- Copies of any prenuptial agreements you may have.
- List of retirement plans along with their types (IRA, 401K, TSP, etc.)
- List of Life insurance policies along with whether or not they are term or whole life.
- Copies of any Transfer-on-Death-Deeds you may have done in the past.
- List of any debts you may owe, including a mortgage statement if you have one.
- Driver’s license or other government issued picture ID. Make sure to tell your lawyer if any information on your government ID is incorrect. Also, make sure to tell your lawyer if you go by any other names.
- List of all of your children, even if they are not going to be beneficiaries.
Of course, not everyone seeking estate planning advice will have all of the aforementioned
documents. If you don’t own a house or have a prenuptial agreement, then you would not need to bring those documents.
The foregoing may not be a complete list of all of the documents your attorney will
ultimately need to complete your estate plan, however, with these documents he will be able to give you good advice at your initial consultation.
If you don’t have all of the aforementioned documents, you may still come to your appointment, and the lawyer will still advise you of your options. But the advice would be more akin to general information than specific legal advice.
