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

Estate Planning 101 Resources
Create Your Will
Create Your Trust(s)
Create Your Advance Directives
Organize Your Estate Information
Frequently Asked Questions About Estate Planning
Estate Planning Related Content

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

What is 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.

Do I need a lawyer to create an estate plan?

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.

What’s the difference between a will and a trust?

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.

What happens if I die without an estate plan?

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.

How often should I update my estate plan?

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.