Not for the information list or the conversations. For a will, powers of attorney and anything involving property or business interests, professional help is usually worth it.

Where should I keep everything?

Somewhere the right person can actually reach. A safe-deposit box nobody has access to is a common and avoidable problem.

Is a will enough on its own?

Usually not. A will handles what happens after death; directives and powers of attorney handle decisions while you are alive but unable to make them.

End-of-life planning checklist: what to sort out while you can

End-of-life planning is mostly about removing guesswork. The documents matter, but so does the ordinary information nobody writes down: where the accounts are, who the professionals are, what you would want, and who is allowed to decide. Working through it in stages is far easier than trying to do it in one sitting.

The short version

01Name who decides for youA healthcare decision-maker and a financial decision-maker, ideally documented in the form your jurisdiction recognizes.
02Write down medical wishesWhat treatment you would want and would not want, and who should be told.
03Make or refresh a willIncluding who administers it. An out-of-date will causes more difficulty than none at all.
04Check beneficiary designationsRetirement accounts and life insurance often pass by designation rather than by will. These are easy to overlook and easy to fix.
05List accounts, providers and professionalsBanks, insurers, pensions, subscriptions, the accountant, the attorney. A list is worth more than a filing cabinet.
06Sort out digital accessPassword manager access, legacy contacts and what you want done with accounts and photos.
07Record funeral preferencesEven a paragraph spares your family a decision they will otherwise agonize over.
08Tell someone where all of this livesA perfect plan nobody can find is not a plan.

The documents most people need

A will
A healthcare directive or living will
A durable power of attorney for finances
A healthcare proxy or medical power of attorney
Up-to-date beneficiary designations

The information nobody writes down

This is where families lose the most time. Where the accounts are, which insurer holds the policy, who the accountant is, which bills are on autopay, where the deeds and titles are kept, and how to get into the phone and email. None of it requires a lawyer to record.

The conversations

Telling the people involved is part of the plan. The person you named should know they have been named, and roughly what you would want. It is a short conversation that prevents long disagreements.

Review points

After a marriage, divorce or new child
After a death in the family
After buying or selling property
After moving to another state or country
Every few years otherwise

Common questions

Do I need a lawyer?: Not for the information list or the conversations. For a will, powers of attorney and anything involving property or business interests, professional help is usually worth it.
Where should I keep everything?: Somewhere the right person can actually reach. A safe-deposit box nobody has access to is a common and avoidable problem.
Is a will enough on its own?: Usually not. A will handles what happens after death; directives and powers of attorney handle decisions while you are alive but unable to make them.

You don't have to hold all of this in your head.

Tell AndWithYou what happened and we'll turn it into a short, prioritized path, and keep track of the rest as things change.

Start my plan

Private by default. Free for families to start.