Most people put off sorting their affairs because it feels overwhelming, or because they simply don’t know where to start. But without a proper estate planning checklist, your family could be left navigating legal confusion, unexpected costs, and difficult decisions during an already painful time. Getting organised now removes that burden entirely.
A solid estate plan covers more than just writing a will. It includes powers of attorney, trusts, pension nominations, digital accounts, and, critically, your funeral wishes. Specifying whether you want a traditional service or a simpler option like direct cremation gives your loved ones clear direction instead of guesswork. At Go Direct Cremations, we see firsthand how much easier the process is for families when these preferences have been recorded in advance.
This guide walks you through every step of estate planning in the UK, from gathering your financial documents to registering your wishes with the right people. Whether you’re in your thirties and just being sensible, or in later life and want everything tied up properly, each section gives you a concrete action to take. No legal jargon, no unnecessary complexity, just a clear path from start to finish.
What estate planning covers in the UK
Estate planning is the process of organising your assets, legal responsibilities, and personal wishes so that the people you care about are protected when you die or lose capacity. In the UK, it is not just for the wealthy. Anyone who owns property, has savings, pays into a pension, or has dependants benefits from having a plan in place. Without one, the law decides what happens to your estate, and that outcome may not match what you wanted at all.
The intestacy rules in England and Wales mean an unmarried partner receives nothing automatically, regardless of how long you were together.
The legal documents
The foundation of any estate planning checklist is your core legal paperwork. A Last Will and Testament sets out who inherits your assets and, if you have children under 18, who will act as their guardian. A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) appoints someone to manage your finances or make health and welfare decisions if you lose mental capacity. A trust can protect assets for children, reduce inheritance tax exposure, or ringfence money for a specific purpose.
Here is a summary of the key documents most people need:
| Document | What it does | Who registers it |
|---|---|---|
| Will | Distributes your estate after death | Probate Registry |
| Property and Financial Affairs LPA | Manages money and property if you lose capacity | Office of the Public Guardian |
| Health and Welfare LPA | Makes medical and care decisions | Office of the Public Guardian |
| Trust deed | Holds assets on behalf of beneficiaries | Solicitor or trust company |
You register LPAs with the Office of the Public Guardian, which is part of the UK government. Registration costs £82 per LPA in England and Wales, and you must complete this while you still have mental capacity. Waiting until a health crisis makes this impossible to do.
Financial and property arrangements
Beyond the core documents, estate planning in the UK requires you to align all your financial accounts with your wishes. Many people assume their will automatically covers everything, but that is not the case. Pensions and life insurance policies are paid out according to the nomination forms you complete with your provider, not according to your will. If you named an ex-partner on a pension nomination form ten years ago and never updated it, they may still receive that money.
Property ownership also matters enormously. If you own a home as joint tenants, it passes automatically to the surviving owner outside the will. If you own it as tenants in common, your share forms part of your estate and follows the instructions in your will. Your conveyancer or Land Registry title documents will confirm which arrangement applies to you.
Care and end-of-life wishes
A thorough estate plan goes well beyond money. Advance decisions (sometimes called living wills) let you refuse specific medical treatments in advance, and these are legally binding in England and Wales under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Recording your funeral preferences is equally important, including whether you want burial or cremation, a traditional service or something simpler, and what should happen to your ashes if you choose cremation.
Digital accounts, social media profiles, and online subscriptions are increasingly part of what people leave behind. Note down your login credentials and platform preferences in a secure document, and specify whether you want accounts memorialised or permanently closed. Your executor will not automatically have the legal right to access these accounts without prior written instructions from you.
Step 1. List assets, debts and key contacts
Start your estate planning checklist by creating a single master document that captures everything you own, everything you owe, and everyone who needs to be contacted when you die. This sounds simple, but most people discover gaps they never expected once they sit down to do it. Your executor cannot act on assets they don’t know exist, so completeness matters more than presentation at this stage.
A paper file stored with your will and reviewed every two years is enough. It does not need to be a formal legal document.
What to include in your asset list
Your asset list should cover every category of value you hold, not just the obvious ones like your home or bank accounts. Property, vehicles, savings accounts, ISAs, premium bonds, investments, pension pots, life insurance policies, business interests, and valuable personal possessions all belong on this list. Note the approximate value, the institution or provider, and the account or policy number for each item.
Use this template as a starting point:
| Asset type | Provider or location | Account or policy number | Approximate value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property | Address or Land Registry | Title number | £ |
| Bank accounts | Bank name | Account number | £ |
| ISAs and investments | Provider name | Account reference | £ |
| Pension | Scheme or provider | Policy number | £ |
| Life insurance | Insurer | Policy number | £ |
| Valuables | Description or location | N/A | £ |
Debts and liabilities
Outstanding debts reduce your estate, so your executor needs to know about them upfront. List your mortgage balance, personal loans, credit card balances, car finance, and any money owed to individuals. Include the lender name, the outstanding amount, and whether the debt is secured or unsecured. Secured debts like mortgages remain tied to the property and must be settled before any proceeds pass to beneficiaries.
Key contacts to note down
Alongside the financial picture, your executor will need to contact a specific set of people quickly after your death. Record names, phone numbers, and email addresses for your solicitor, financial adviser, accountant, pension provider, and insurance broker. Add any professional who holds documents on your behalf.
- Solicitor (especially if they store your will)
- Financial adviser
- Accountant
- Pension provider contact
- Insurance broker
- Bank relationship manager, if applicable
Keeping this contact list updated each time you change providers saves your family significant time when it matters most.
Step 2. Decide who does what
Choosing the right people for the right roles is one of the most important decisions on your estate planning checklist. You need an executor at minimum, and depending on your circumstances, you may also need attorneys under Lasting Powers of Attorney, trustees, and guardians for minor children. Each role carries real legal responsibility, so choose carefully and always ask the person before naming them.
Your executor
The executor administers your estate after you die. Their practical duties include locating your will and applying for probate, paying debts and tax, and distributing assets to your beneficiaries. You can name up to four executors in your will, though two is the most common arrangement. Naming a substitute executor is sensible in case your first choice cannot act when the time comes.
Use this template when noting executor details:
- Primary executor: full name, relationship, phone number
- Substitute executor: full name, relationship, phone number
- Professional executor (solicitor or bank trust department) if the estate is large or complex
Your attorneys
An attorney under a Lasting Power of Attorney acts on your behalf while you are still alive, not after your death. You need separate attorneys for your Property and Financial Affairs LPA and your Health and Welfare LPA. These can be the same person, though consider whether one individual realistically has the time and capacity to manage both roles well.
Choose attorneys you trust completely, because they will have legal authority to make binding decisions on your behalf if you lose mental capacity.
Guardians for children
If you have children under 18, appoint a named guardian in your will. Without one, a court decides who raises your children if both parents die. Speak to your intended guardian before naming them, and record their full name and contact details alongside your will documents.
Trustees
Trusts require at least one trustee to manage them, though two is standard practice. Trustees hold and distribute the assets according to the trust deed for the benefit of your chosen beneficiaries. A professional trustee such as a solicitor or trust company is worth considering if the trust will run for many years or involves substantial assets, as family members may lack the financial expertise to manage it responsibly over the long term.
Step 3. Put the core documents in place
Once you know what you own and who will handle your affairs, the next task on your estate planning checklist is to get the right legal documents drafted and registered. Without them, even the clearest intentions mean nothing in law. A will, one or two Lasting Powers of Attorney, and potentially a trust cover the vast majority of what most people in the UK need.
Write your will
Your will is the most urgent document to sort out, because dying without one means the intestacy rules decide how your estate is divided. In England and Wales, you can write a simple will yourself using a template, but for anything involving property, trusts, stepchildren, business assets, or significant sums, use a solicitor to avoid costly errors. A straightforward professionally drafted will typically costs between £150 and £300.
A will written without legal advice is valid in principle, but an error in the wording or signing process can render it unenforceable.
Your will must be signed in the presence of two independent witnesses who are not beneficiaries, and those witnesses must sign at the same time. Store the original with your solicitor or in a fireproof location at home, and register it with the National Will Register so your executor can locate it easily.
Set up your Lasting Powers of Attorney
An LPA takes effect while you are still alive and covers two separate areas. You register both through the Office of the Public Guardian using their online service. The table below outlines what each one covers:
| LPA type | What your attorney can do |
|---|---|
| Property and Financial Affairs | Manage bank accounts, pay bills, sell property |
| Health and Welfare | Make medical decisions, consent to care arrangements |
Both documents cost £82 each to register in England and Wales. The registration process takes eight to twelve weeks, so apply early rather than waiting until your health deteriorates.
Consider whether you need a trust
Trusts are not just for wealthy families. You may benefit from a trust if you have children from a previous relationship, want to ring-fence an inheritance for a grandchild until they reach a certain age, or want to reduce exposure to inheritance tax. Ask a solicitor to assess your circumstances before ruling this out. Setting up a simple bare trust or discretionary trust is more accessible than most people expect, and the cost of getting it right now is far lower than the cost of not having one in place when it matters.
Step 4. Align accounts, property and beneficiaries
Your will does not automatically control everything you own. Several financial products and property arrangements sit outside the will entirely and follow their own rules. This step in your estate planning checklist is about closing those gaps so that every asset reaches the right person by the right route.
Outdated nomination forms are one of the most common and easily avoided mistakes in estate planning, yet they affect a large proportion of estates each year.
Pension and life insurance nominations
Pension providers and life insurers pay out based on the nomination forms you complete with them directly, not based on what your will says. If you set up a pension in your twenties and never updated the nominated beneficiary, that money could pass to someone you no longer intend to benefit. Log in to your pension provider’s online portal or contact them by phone and request a current copy of your nomination form. Update it immediately if the details are out of date.
Work through each policy and scheme you hold using this checklist:
| Product | Provider | Nominated beneficiary | Last reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workplace pension | Scheme name | Full name | Date |
| Personal pension | Provider name | Full name | Date |
| Life insurance | Insurer name | Full name | Date |
| Death in service benefit | Employer HR | Full name | Date |
Property ownership structure
How you own your property determines what happens to your share when you die. If you are a joint tenant, your share passes automatically to the surviving owner regardless of what your will says. If you own as tenants in common, your share falls into your estate and follows your will instructions.
Check your Land Registry title documents to confirm your current ownership structure. If you want to change it, a solicitor can sever a joint tenancy and convert your ownership to tenants in common relatively quickly. This is particularly worth doing if you are in a second marriage or cohabiting partnership where you want each person’s share to follow their own estate plan.
Accounts and digital assets
Bank accounts held in your sole name form part of your estate and pass through probate. Joint accounts typically transfer directly to the surviving account holder. Go through each account and note whether it is sole or joint, and whether your executor knows it exists. Add any accounts opened since you last reviewed your plan to the master asset list you built in Step 1.
Step 5. Add care, funeral and digital wishes
Most estate planning checklists focus heavily on money and legal documents, but the decisions that affect your family most emotionally are often the practical ones: how you want to be cared for if you lose capacity, what kind of funeral you want, and what happens to your online life. Recording these wishes clearly means your family makes informed choices rather than guesses during one of the hardest periods they will face.
Advance decisions and care preferences
An advance decision lets you refuse specific medical treatments in advance, and it is legally binding in England and Wales under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. You do not need a solicitor to create one, but it must be written down, signed, and witnessed to be valid. If your advance decision covers the refusal of life-sustaining treatment, it must also include a specific statement confirming that it applies even if your life is at risk.
An advance decision only covers treatments you want to refuse, not treatments you want to demand, so be precise about which procedures you are declining and in what circumstances.
Record your care home preferences alongside your advance decision. If you have strong views about where you would want to live if you could no longer manage at home, note that down and discuss it with your Health and Welfare LPA attorney.
Funeral and cremation preferences
Your executor and family will make funeral arrangements quickly after your death, often within days. Leaving written instructions removes the burden of guessing what you would have wanted. Note your preference for burial or cremation, the type of service (traditional, direct, or no service at all), your preferred location, and any specific readings, music, or requests.
Use this simple template to record your funeral wishes:
| Preference | Your choice |
|---|---|
| Burial or cremation | |
| Attended service or direct cremation | |
| Preferred crematorium or burial site | |
| Music or readings | |
| Ashes: scatter, keep, or bury |
Digital accounts and online assets
Your executor has no automatic legal right to access your email, social media, or financial accounts online. Log all your significant digital accounts in a secure document and specify what you want done with each one. Include the platform name, your username, and whether you want the account memorialised, deleted, or passed on.
- Email accounts (Gmail, Outlook)
- Social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
- Online banking or investment platforms
- Subscription services (streaming, cloud storage)
- Domain names or websites you own
Store this document securely alongside your will, not in the cloud accounts themselves.
Step 6. Store, share and review your plan
Completing the documents is only part of the job. The final step in your estate planning checklist is making sure the right people can find everything when they need it. A perfectly drafted will locked in an unknown location is as useless to your family as no will at all. Storage, communication, and regular reviews turn a one-off task into a plan that actually works.
Where to store your documents
Your original will should be stored either with your solicitor or in a fireproof container at home. Many solicitors store your will free of charge as part of the drafting fee, and they hold it securely until it is needed. If you keep it at home, register it with the National Will Register so your executor can confirm its location without searching through your belongings.
Store certified copies of your LPAs separately from your original will so that your attorneys can access them independently if needed.
Keep your complete estate plan file together in one place. This file should contain your asset list, key contacts, LPA copies, trust documents, pension nomination confirmations, advance decision, and your funeral wishes. A physical folder works well alongside a password-protected digital backup saved to a USB drive kept with your paperwork.
Who to tell and what to share
Your executor and attorneys need to know where your documents are kept. You do not need to share the full contents with them now, but they must be able to locate everything quickly after your death or loss of capacity. Tell your executor:
- Where your original will is stored
- Where your complete estate plan file is kept
- The name and contact details of your solicitor
- Any safe combinations or security codes needed to access documents
Sharing the location is enough at this stage. You choose what level of detail to share about the contents of your will with family members in advance.
When to review your plan
Your estate plan is not a permanent document. Life changes mean your plan can become outdated faster than you expect. Review everything every two to three years as a minimum, and immediately after any of the following events:
| Trigger event | What to check |
|---|---|
| Marriage or divorce | Will, LPAs, beneficiary nominations |
| Birth of a child or grandchild | Guardian appointment, trust arrangements |
| Death of an executor or attorney | Name a replacement |
| Significant change in assets | Update your asset list and will |
| Change in pension or insurance provider | Resubmit nomination forms |
Treating your estate plan as a living document rather than a task you complete once gives your family the clearest possible picture whenever they need it.
Next steps
You now have a complete estate planning checklist to work through at your own pace. Start with the asset list and key contacts this week, then tackle the legal documents in order of urgency. Your will and Lasting Powers of Attorney are the two items that most people delay longest and regret most. Book a solicitor appointment, set a reminder to review everything in two years, and tell your executor where to find the file.
One decision that consistently makes the process easier for families is recording your funeral preferences clearly. When your loved ones know exactly what you wanted, they spend less time second-guessing and more time focused on each other. A growing number of people in the UK choose direct cremation as a straightforward, dignified, and affordable option. If that appeals to you, find out how Go Direct Cremations works and note your preference in your plan today.