Free tool · 90 seconds
Is your estate planning in place? The 90-second checklist
Eight quick yes/no checks — will, executors, guardians, LPAs and wishes — that show how prepared your estate really is. No sign-up, no obligation.
About you
The checklist
Without one, the intestacy rules decide who inherits — not you. Unmarried partners and stepchildren can be left with nothing.
Marriage revokes an existing will in England and Wales, and divorce, births, deaths and house moves can all leave one out of date.
Executors deal with probate, debts and distributing the estate. Naming someone unable or unwilling to act causes delay at the worst possible time.
Without one, nobody — not even a spouse — can automatically manage your accounts, bills or mortgage if you lose capacity. The Court of Protection route is slow and stressful.
It lets someone you trust make decisions about your care and medical treatment if you can't — including where you live and the treatment you would want.
A short letter of wishes spares your family painful guesswork and helps your executors and doctors honour what you would have wanted.
Assets nobody knows about are easily missed when an estate is administered. A simple, current list keeps nothing unclaimed.
Often forgotten — 5 more checks+
Less common, often overlooked — each one can matter a lot when it applies.
Pensions pass by nomination, not your will; worth reviewing before the April 2027 IHT change.
Without a record, online accounts and digital assets are easily lost; keep an access plan somewhere safe.
Without provisions, a business can stall or be sold under pressure; wills, partnership deeds and shareholder agreements need to align.
English probate often doesn't reach foreign assets; local rules (and sometimes local wills) apply.
A policy written in trust pays out directly, outside the estate; one that isn't may add to it.
Where you stand
Essentials in place
0 of 7
Several of the basics aren't in place yet.
Still to sort
- I have a will
- My will has been reviewed in the last 5 years, or since my last major life change
- I've named executors who are willing and able to act
- I have a Lasting Power of Attorney for property and financial affairs
- I have a Lasting Power of Attorney for health and welfare
- I've recorded my funeral and medical wishes
- My executors could find everything — accounts, policies, property and passwords
Several of the basics aren't in place yet — most can be sorted in a single fixed-fee review.
Get my free consultation →Free, no obligation. Fixed fees agreed up front.
A general readiness check, not advice. Whether each item applies — and what your documents should actually say — depends on your circumstances, which our team would confirm with you. Wills, LPAs and trusts are not regulated by the FCA.
What complete estate planning covers
A will is the foundation, but it is only one piece. It decides who inherits, names the executors who administer everything and — for parents — appoints guardians for children under 18. Die without one and the intestacy rules decide instead, on a fixed formula that ignores unmarried partners and stepchildren entirely. Our guide to making a will in the UK walks through what a good one actually contains.
The second piece protects you while you are alive. A will does nothing if you lose capacity rather than die — Lasting Powers of Attorney cover that gap, one for your finances and one for your health and care. That is why a will and LPAs are usually made together: the same conversation, the same facts, and a plan that works whichever way life turns.
The gaps that catch families out
In practice, the problems we see are rarely exotic. They are ordinary gaps left by busy lives — an old will that marriage quietly revoked, no guardianship clause, no LPA in place when capacity is lost, or assets the executors simply could not find. The ones worth understanding:
- What happens if you die without a will
- When to update an existing will
- Appointing guardians for your children
- Losing capacity with no LPA in place
Whatever the checklist shows, none of it is difficult to put right. Our estate planning service covers wills, LPAs and trusts in one fixed-fee review, agreed up front.
Estate planning checklist: common questions
Do I need a will?+
If you own anything, care who inherits it, or have children, yes. A will lets you choose who benefits, who administers your estate and — if you have children under 18 — who would raise them. Without one, the intestacy rules apply a fixed legal formula that takes no account of your wishes: unmarried partners and stepchildren can receive nothing.
What happens if I die without a will in the UK?+
Your estate is distributed under the intestacy rules of England and Wales — a fixed order that favours spouses and blood relatives. An unmarried partner inherits nothing automatically, however long you have been together, and the court decides who administers everything. It is usually slower and more stressful for the people you leave behind than a properly made will.
How often should a will be reviewed?+
Every five years is a sensible rhythm, and sooner after any major life change — marriage, divorce, a birth or death in the family, a house move or a significant change in what you own. Marriage automatically revokes an existing will in England and Wales, which catches many people out.
What is a Lasting Power of Attorney and do I need one?+
An LPA is a legal document that lets people you trust make decisions for you if you lose the ability to make them yourself. There are two types: one for property and financial affairs, one for health and welfare. A will only takes effect when you die; LPAs protect you while you are alive. Without them, your family would need to apply to the Court of Protection — a slower, more stressful route at an already difficult time.
Do I need to name guardians in my will?+
If you have children under 18, naming guardians is one of the most important things a will does. Without a valid appointment, the family court decides who raises your children if both parents die — and it may not be the person you would have chosen.
How much does a will cost?+
It depends on how complex your circumstances are — a straightforward will is very different from one involving trusts, business interests or blended families. We agree a fixed fee with you up front, before any work begins, so you know exactly where you stand.
Do pensions pass through my will?+
Usually not. Most pensions sit outside your estate and are paid out under the scheme's rules, guided by the death-benefit nomination — sometimes called an expression of wish — that you lodge with your provider, not by your will. That makes nominations worth checking whenever you review your will, and especially before April 2027, when unused pension funds are due to come within inheritance tax.
What happens to digital assets when someone dies?+
Email, photo libraries, social media, cloud storage and other online accounts do not pass as neatly as physical possessions — each provider has its own terms, and executors who have no record of what exists can lose access to it entirely. Keeping a secure, current list of your accounts, and noting how your executors could deal with each one (some providers offer legacy-contact or inactive-account settings), means nothing is simply lost.
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