Questions people actually ask

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No. We are not a law firm and not attorneys. We explain the five core estate documents in plain English and help you see which ones are missing for your situation. Document preparation and legal judgment belong with a licensed attorney in your state, or a reputable platform that builds state-specific documents. Estate rules and document names vary by state.

A will (who gets what, who wraps things up, and who would raise minor children), a durable financial power of attorney (who handles money if you can't), a healthcare directive (who speaks for you medically and what you'd want; names vary by state), beneficiary designations (the forms on retirement accounts and life insurance, which generally override the will), and a revocable living trust (useful for many homeowners and complex estates, genuinely optional for simple situations).

Without a durable financial power of attorney, if you become unable to manage money yourself, your family generally can't just step in; they often have to ask a court to appoint someone, a process commonly called guardianship or conservatorship. A financial power of attorney names that person in advance, but it only works if it's signed while you're still well. That's why it tends to be the gap that bites first, and the one people most often skip.

It depends on the situation, and the gap check gives you an honest read. Straightforward situations (a simple asset picture, no blended family, no business, no special-needs dependent) are what reputable online platforms handle well. Blended families, special-needs dependents, business ownership, and complex estates reward real legal advice, and our result says so when it applies.

A will alone leaves real gaps. It generally doesn't control retirement accounts or life insurance (beneficiary forms do), and it does nothing while you're alive: that's the job of the financial power of attorney and the healthcare directive. The gap check shows which of the five are actually covered.

Yes. Tell the first question you're helping a parent and the whole check adjusts, including guidance on how to bring the topic up gently and why the financial power of attorney is the time-sensitive document in that situation. Our sister site GoCheckMyParents covers the care side of the same season.

The common guidance: re-read everything after any major life event (marriage, divorce, a birth, a death, a move to another state, a big change in assets), and every few years even without one. Beneficiary forms drift out of date faster than wills, so they deserve their own regular check.