A complete end-of-life plan touches five major areas: legal documents, healthcare decisions, financial organization, digital legacy, and personal legacy. This checklist covers every item across each category. Use it to identify what you've already done — and what still needs attention.
Legal Documents
- ☐ Write a will. Even a simple will is far better than none. It determines who gets your assets and, if you have children, who raises them. See our complete guide to wills and estate planning.
- ☐ Name an executor. Your executor manages your estate after death. Choose someone trustworthy and organized. Learn what's involved in our guide to choosing an executor.
- ☐ Create a durable financial power of attorney. This gives a trusted person authority to manage your finances if you're incapacitated. See our guide to financial power of attorney.
- ☐ Consider whether you need a trust. A living trust avoids probate and can provide more control over asset distribution. Read our comparison of trust vs. will.
- ☐ If you have minor children, name a guardian. This single document may be the most important thing you write. See our guide to naming a guardian.
- ☐ Store documents properly and share their location. Documents only help if the right people can find them. See our guide to storing and sharing legal documents.
Healthcare Planning
- ☐ Complete a living will (advance directive). Specify which medical treatments you do and don't want. Read our complete guide to advance directives.
- ☐ Designate a healthcare proxy. Name someone to make medical decisions when you can't. See our guide to healthcare proxies.
- ☐ Document DNR or other specific orders if applicable. If you have strong preferences about resuscitation, document them. Learn about DNR orders.
- ☐ Register your organ donation decision. Document your wishes and tell your family. See our guide to organ donation.
- ☐ Talk to your doctor about your wishes. An advance directive is most effective when your physician knows your values. Read our guide on talking to your doctor.
Financial Organization
- ☐ Create a comprehensive assets inventory. List every account, property, debt, and insurance policy. See our guide to creating an assets inventory.
- ☐ Review and update beneficiary designations. Check retirement accounts, life insurance, and bank accounts. Read why this matters in our guide to beneficiary designations.
- ☐ Review life insurance coverage. Ensure your family would be adequately protected. See our guide to life insurance and estate planning.
- ☐ Document how funeral costs will be covered. Leaving a funding plan saves your family from scrambling. Learn your options in our guide to funding funeral costs.
- ☐ Review joint accounts and TOD designations. These can help assets transfer without probate. See our guide to joint accounts and TOD designations.
Funeral Planning
- ☐ Document your burial or cremation preference. Your family will need to know this immediately after your death. See our comparison of burial vs. cremation.
- ☐ Write funeral instructions. Music, readings, attendees, venue — document it all. See our guide on what to include in funeral instructions.
- ☐ Research and select a funeral home if desired. Making this decision in advance saves your family significant stress. See our guide to choosing a funeral home.
Digital Legacy
- ☐ Create a digital assets inventory. List every online account and how to access it. See our guide to creating a digital assets inventory.
- ☐ Set up legacy settings on major platforms. Facebook, Google, and Apple all have settings for what happens to your accounts. See our guides on Facebook memorialization, Google's Inactive Account Manager, and Apple Legacy Contact.
- ☐ Document account credentials securely. Leave your heirs a way to access critical accounts. See our guide to password management for heirs.
Personal Legacy
- ☐ Record messages for your loved ones. Video, voice, or written messages for future milestones. Start with our complete guide to leaving messages.
- ☐ Preserve your life stories. Write your memoir, record an oral history, or create a family tree. See our guide to preserving memories.
- ☐ Write an ethical will or legacy letter. Document your values and wisdom for the next generation. See our guide to ethical wills.
Communication
- ☐ Tell your family where your documents are. The best plan fails if no one can find it.
- ☐ Have the end-of-life conversation. Your family needs to know your wishes — not just where your documents are. See our guide to family communication.
- ☐ Brief your executor and healthcare proxy on their roles. Both need to understand what's expected of them.
No one completes everything at once. The goal is progress — pick the highest-priority items and start there. Return to this checklist as you complete each step, and review it every few years or after major life changes.