The Family Protection Checklist
The critical documents every family needs. Wills. Trusts. Powers of attorney. Healthcare directives.
Most families never got clear information on this.
This page lays out every document in plain language.
Mark what you have and find your gaps in about five minutes.
Why I built this checklist
Last year I got 6 legal problems solved without Googling and praying I was right.
I tallied up every time I called my attorney last year. The number stopped me cold. It wasn't one call. It was six.
An employment contract I didn't understand. A contractor who tried to walk away with my money, and I got a $500 refund and the work finished. An electricity bill that didn't add up. Tax questions that kept me up at night. LLC questions I was too afraid to guess on.
And the big one: my will, power of attorney, and healthcare directives. Done. Then updated again this year at no extra cost. Then last month we finished our trust. Attorney drafted, done from home.
Six times I would have normally told myself “it's probably fine” and hoped for the best. I did the math on what a traditional attorney would have charged for each one. Total if I'd paid out of pocket? $3,150 to $5,700. What I actually paid for the entire year? $480. Less than a latte a day.
But the money isn't even the real win. The real win is I stopped being afraid to ask. I stopped sitting on legal questions for weeks telling myself I'd figure it out later. I have an attorney in my pocket. 24/7.
Most people wait until they're in crisis to call a lawyer. By then it's expensive. And it's too late.
It's not laziness. It's three barriers.
Most families are not irresponsible. They never got clear information. I was 37 when I first learned what a will really was.
Wills, trusts, power of attorney, guardianship. Where do you even start? The mental load keeps people frozen.
Traditional attorneys charge $1,500 to $3,000 just to draft a basic will. Add a trust and the rest, and it climbs to $5,000 and up.
Consultations, weeks of waiting, revisions, follow-up appointments. So people say they will do it when things slow down. They never do.
You don't need to hire a lawyer. You need access to one.
The Family Protection Checklist
Open this list and mark what you have and what is missing. Most people find one or two gaps in about five minutes.
Your Last Will and Testament
- What it is
- The document that says who gets what, and who carries out your wishes, when you're gone.
- Why it matters
- Without it, the court decides. Not you. A judge who never met your family decides who raises your kids and who gets your home, and your family waits months or years while the court sorts it out.
- What to check
- Does it name a guardian for your children?
- Does it name an executor you trust?
- Is it signed, witnessed and up to date, not a template from another state?
In place, current, or missing. Mark yours.
Your Trust
- What it is
- A document that holds what you own, so your family skips the long, public, expensive court process called probate.
- Why it matters
- A will says who gets what. A trust makes the transfer fast and private. Without it, everything can get tied up in court, and probate fees and delays eat into what your family actually receives.
- What to check
- Is anything titled in the trust yet, your home, your accounts, or is the trust an empty shell? That's the mistake that sends a house to probate anyway.
- Is the funding done, with deeds retitled?
- Is beneficiary paperwork on accounts consistent with it?
Funded, unfunded, or missing. Mark yours.
Your Powers of Attorney
- What it is
- The documents that name who can act on your behalf, for money and for medical decisions, if you can't speak for yourself.
- Why it matters
- Without them, no one, not even your spouse in some cases, can legally touch your accounts or make decisions on your behalf without a court order. Your family ends up in court just to pay your bills.
- What to check
- Do you have a financial power of attorney and a healthcare one? They are separate documents.
- Is the person you named still the right person?
- Are they signed and current?
In place, current, or missing. Mark yours.
Your Healthcare Directives
- What it is
- Your living will and healthcare directive, the instructions that tell doctors and family what you want if you can't say it yourself.
- Why it matters
- Without it, your family guesses. Under pressure, in a hospital hallway, at the worst moment of their lives. And doctors and courts make the call instead of you.
- What to check
- Does it state your wishes clearly?
- Is a copy somewhere your family can actually find it at 2 in the morning?
- Does the person named know they are named?
In place, current, or missing. Mark yours.
This checklist is general information, not legal advice.
Found gaps? Here's what to do.
Don't panic, and don't set it aside again. There are two honest paths.
Do it yourself
Research your state's rules, gather your asset list, draft from templates, find a notary, and revisit it all every time life changes. It works if you have the hours and you get every word right.
Do it with an attorney
My own will, powers of attorney and healthcare directives were attorney drafted, done from home, and updated this year at no extra cost. My trust was finished last month. On a 30 minute call, I walk through where you stand and map the fastest path to get protected.
You got this far. That's the hard part.
Most people wait until a crisis forces their hand. You looked at the list instead. Whatever your gaps are, they are fixable, and the first step is a short conversation, not a courtroom. I answer questions in plain language and help you get protected. No pressure.