Protecting Your Legacy and Loved Ones

The Estate Planning 101 Hub

Estate planning ensures your wishes are honored and your assets are protected. While the Buried in Work website offers a wealth of resources, this hub introduces the essentials of estate planning, including creating wills, trusts, advance directives, and organizing your estate information.

Photo of the first page of a Last Will & Testament

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Estate Planning 101 Resources

Start your estate planning journey with foundational resources that explain key concepts, essential documents, and steps to protect your legacy and loved ones.

Estate Preparation Quiz

It takes over 500 hours on average to administer an estate. Our free two minute quiz helps you find out if you're prepared.
Take The Quiz

Estate Planning Roadmap

Our Estate Planning Roadmap provides a clear process to get started on your estate planning journey.

Get Your Roadmap

Create Your Will

Choose from one of three ways to create your will: with a lawyer, through an online service, or by doing it yourself.

Create Your Will

Introduction to Wills & Trusts

Want to dive in to the basics of wills & trusts? This is the guide for you.

Get The Guide

Create Your Will

Learn how to create a legally sound will that clearly outlines your wishes and ensures your assets are distributed according to your intentions.

Create Your Will Hub

Our hub helps you choose the will that best suits your needs, ensuring your assets are protected and your wishes are clearly communicated.
Create Your Will

Create Your Trust(s)

Learn how to create trusts that protect your assets, provide flexibility, and ensure your wishes are honored.

Create Your Trust(s) Hub

Our hub helps you choose the trust that best suits your needs, ensuring your assets are protected and your wishes are carried out.
Create Your Trust(s)

Create Your Advance Directives

Ensure your healthcare decisions are honored by preparing advance directives that communicate your medical preferences and designate trusted decision-makers.

Advance Directives Hub

Our hub helps you choose the advance directives that are right for you, ensuring your healthcare wishes are clearly defined and respected.
Create Your Advance Directives

Organize Your Estate Information

Simplify estate management with tools and guides to organize personal, financial, and legal information, making it accessible and clear for your loved ones.

Estate Planning Essentials Bundle

Our FREE Estate Planning Essentials Bundle provides the fundamental tools to start your estate planning journey, our Estate Summary and Ask Three Questions worksheets.

Get The Bundle

CLEAR Kit Hub

Administering an estate takes an average of 570 hours. The CLEAR Kit helps streamline this process by organizing your essential estate information, ensuring your family and loved ones can easily access what they need, when they need it.
Create Your CLEAR Kit

Frequently Asked Questions About Estate Planning

Estate planning is the process of arranging how your assets, personal belongings, and affairs will be managed and distributed after your death or if you become incapacitated. It includes creating documents like wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.

While you can create basic estate planning documents online, consulting a lawyer ensures your plan complies with state laws and covers your unique needs, especially if your estate is complex or involves blended families.

A will outlines how your assets are distributed after you die and goes through probate. A trust bypasses probate and allows you to manage assets during your lifetime and after your death, offering more control and privacy.

If you die without a will or estate plan, state laws determine how your assets are distributed, which may not align with your wishes. This can create additional stress for your loved ones.

We recommend conducting a high-level review of your estate plan annually on April 16th to address any recent changes that may impact it. Additionally, you should perform a thorough review and update your estate plan every 3-5 years or after significant life events, such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, or major financial changes.

A power of attorney allows someone you trust to make financial or medical decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. It's a crucial part of any comprehensive estate plan.

Include a digital legacy plan that outlines access to online accounts, social media, and digital assets. Specify who can manage or close these accounts after your death.

An advance directive is a legal document that specifies your healthcare preferences and appoints someone to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to communicate.

Name a guardian for your minor children in your will and consider setting up a trust to manage their inheritance until they are of legal age.

Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. Please consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation.