Will & Testament Worksheet (Pre-Attorney Prep)
A planning worksheet to organize your wishes before making a will — executor, guardians for minor children, beneficiaries and specific gifts, the residuary estate, an asset inventory, and personal instructions — to bring to an attorney or a valid state form.
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LAST WILL & TESTAMENT -- PLANNING WORKSHEET *** THIS IS A PREPARATION WORKSHEET, NOT A WILL. *** It does not distribute anything and has no legal effect. Use it to organize your wishes, then have an attorney prepare your will (or use a valid will for your state) and sign it with the witnesses (and any notarization) your state requires. Testator (you): Sample Testator EXECUTOR (administers the estate) Executor: Sample Executor — (555) 010-1212 Alternate: Backup Executor — (555) 010-3434 GUARDIAN FOR MINOR CHILDREN (if applicable) Sample Guardian (sister) — and alternate: Backup Guardian (friend) BENEFICIARIES - Jordan Sample | spouse | the residuary estate (everything not otherwise gifted) - Alex Sample | child | 50% of investment accounts, held in trust until age 25 - Riley Sample | child | 50% of investment accounts, held in trust until age 25 SPECIFIC GIFTS / BEQUESTS - Grandmother's ring -> to Alex Sample - 2018 sedan -> to Riley Sample - $2,000 -> to Sample Animal Shelter RESIDUARY ESTATE (everything not specifically gifted) To my spouse Jordan Sample; if they do not survive me, split equally among my children. ASSET INVENTORY (reference -- some assets pass outside the will) - Home at 123 Example St (mortgage with SampleBank) - Checking + savings (SampleBank) - 401(k) and IRA (note: beneficiary designations control these, not the will) - Life insurance (note: beneficiary designation controls) PETS Cat "Mittens" to Sample Guardian, with $500 for care. OTHER WISHES / NOTES FOR THE ATTORNEY I would like to discuss whether a simple revocable living trust makes sense to avoid probate. NEXT STEPS [ ] Review with a licensed estate attorney (or use a valid will for your state) [ ] Sign the will with witnesses (and notarization) as your state requires [ ] Confirm beneficiary designations (retirement, life insurance) separately [ ] Store the signed original safely; tell your executor where it is [ ] Review after marriage, divorce, births, deaths, or moving states (Worksheet only -- this does NOT distribute property or create a will.)
About this template
Making a will is how you decide who receives your property, who administers your estate, and — if you have minor children — who would raise them. This worksheet is the **preparation step**: it helps you gather the decisions and information a will requires so that when you sit down with an attorney (or a valid state form) the actual will is accurate and complete. The pillars are: an **executor** (the person who carries out the will and settles the estate) plus an alternate; a **guardian** for any minor children, which for many parents is the single most important reason to make a will at all; your **beneficiaries** and any **specific gifts** (heirlooms, vehicles, cash bequests); and the **residuary estate** clause that catches everything not specifically given. An **asset inventory** is useful for planning, with one critical caveat the worksheet flags: **many assets pass outside the will** — retirement accounts, life insurance, and "payable-on-death" accounts go to whoever is named in their **beneficiary designations**, and those beneficiary forms override your will, so they must be reviewed separately. The essential point: **this worksheet is not a will and has no legal effect — it distributes nothing.** A valid will must meet your state's formal requirements, which almost always include **signing in front of witnesses** (and sometimes notarization); an unsigned or improperly witnessed document is not a will. Because mistakes here are discovered when you are no longer around to fix them, and because estate and tax rules vary by state and situation, the strong recommendation is to **have a licensed attorney prepare or review your will**, especially with minor children, blended families, business interests, or larger estates. Once it is properly signed, store the original safely and make sure your executor knows where to find it, and revisit it after major life changes.
When to use it
- Organizing your wishes before an attorney drafts your will.
- Deciding on an executor and a guardian for minor children.
- Listing beneficiaries, specific gifts, and the residuary estate.
- Inventorying assets and noting which pass outside the will.
What to include
- Testator, executor, and an alternate executor.
- Guardian (and alternate) for any minor children.
- Beneficiaries, specific gifts, and a residuary clause.
- An asset inventory, with a note on beneficiary-designated assets.
- Next steps to make a valid, signed will.