Planning Your Estate

Questionnaire to Help You Prepare
to See Your Attorney about Drafting Your Will

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 To help you prepare to see your attorney, you may use the following questionnaire to compile information your attorney will need to help you develop an estate plan. Your attorney may prefer to use other questionnaires and may need additional information. Call your attorney before your appointment to see what information he or she may need.

You may use the following questionnaire, either by typing your answers directly on the screen or by printing a blank copy and filling out the hard copy. If you choose to type in your answers directly on the screen, print a copy when you are finished. Exiting the program will lose any information you have typed into the questionnaire. Do not try to save your answers in a file because your answers will be erased in the saved file. You will not be asked to transmit your answers over the phone line, so your answers are as secure as your computer. Tip: Print the file often to make sure that you do not lose the information you have entered. Or, fill out a hard copy first, and then enter the information on the computer screen to print.

Name:

1. Do you have a will? Yes No
If yes, what is the date of the will?

2. Does your spouse have a will? Yes No
If yes, what is the date of the will?

Note: Clicking Reset will erase the above information.

3. Who will be the primary beneficiary or beneficiaries under your will? (Check all that apply.)
Spouse
Children
Descendants of deceased children (grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.)
Parents
Brothers and/or Sisters
Descendants of deceased brothers and/or sisters (nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, etc.)
Grandparents
Aunts and/or Uncles
Descendants of deceased aunts and/or uncles (cousins)
Charitable or educational organization
Other

4. List the names and addresses of your primary beneficiary or beneficiaries. Note: If it is your spouse or children, refer to Personal Data questionnaire.

Note: Clicking Reset will erase the information up to the previous Reset Button

5. In the event that the primary beneficiary or beneficiaries do not survive you, who will be the alternate beneficiary or beneficiaries under your will? (Check all that apply.)
Spouse
Children
Descendants of deceased children (grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.)
Parents
Brothers and/or Sisters
Descendants of deceased brothers and/or sisters (nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, etc.)
Grandparents
Aunts and/or Uncles
Descendants of deceased aunts and/or uncles (cousins)
Charitable or educational organization
Other

6. List the names and addresses of your alternate beneficiary or beneficiaries. Note: If it is your spouse or children, refer to Personal Data questionnaire.

Note: Clicking Reset will erase the information up to the previous Reset Button.

7. If a beneficiary dies before you, how do you want that beneficiary's share handled?
It should go the deceased beneficiary's heirs.
It should be added together with the shares of other deceased beneficiaries of the same class and equally distributed among their heirs. See the section on Calculating Shares of Beneficiaries.
Increase the shares of the surviving beneficiaries.
It should go to someone else.
Name and address:
Other

Note: Clicking Reset will erase the information up to the previous Reset Button.

8. How do you want your estate to be distributed?
All to your spouse, if your spouse survives you, if not then to your children or the descendants of deceased children.
All to your spouse, if your spouse survives you, if not then to the people named below:

All to your children or the descendants of deceased children.
Other. Explain in general terms below:

Note: Clicking Reset will erase the information up to the previous Reset Button.

9. List specific property you wish to give to specific people, and list the names and addresses of any beneficiaries who are not listed elsewhere in this information.

Note: Clicking Reset will erase the information up to the previous Reset Button.

10. Do you have any charitable pledges that you wish paid in the event of your death? If so, please describe below.

Note: Clicking Reset will erase the information up to the previous Reset Button.

11. Who do you wish to designate as the Executor of your estate?
Name:
Address:

Who do you wish to name as alternates if your first choice for executor cannot or will not serve?
Alternate # 1
Name:
Address:

Alternate # 2
Name:
Address:

Alternate # 3
Name:
Address:

Note: Clicking Reset will erase the information up to the previous Reset Button.

12. Who do you wish to designate as the Trustee(s) of any trusts for the benefit of minor children?
Name:
Address:
Name:
Address:

Who do you wish to name as alternates if your first choice for trustee cannot or will not serve?
Alternate # 1
Name:
Address:

Alternate # 2
Name:
Address:

Alternate # 3
Name:
Address:

Note: Clicking Reset will erase the information up to the previous Reset Button.

13. Do you have a safety deposit box? Yes No
If yes, who has the key?

14. Do you wish to make anatomical gifts? Yes No

15. Do you have any special requests regarding funeral arrangements, burial, or cremation?
Traditional burial
Cremation
Memorial service
Other (please explain below)

Note: Clicking Reset will erase the information up to the previous Reset Button.

Prepared by Carol A. Schwab, J.D., LL.M.
Professor and Extension Specialist, NC State University.

This publication is provided as a public service and is designed to acquaint you with certain legal issues and concerns. It is not designed as a substitute for legal advice, nor does it tell you everything you may need to know about this subject. Future changes in the law cannot be predicted, and statements in this publication are based solely on the laws in force on the date of publication.

WARNING: This questionnaire is designed to help your attorney prepare the appropriate legal document. Providing answers to the questionnaire has no legal effect and is not a substitute for the legal document itself.

Date: August 2000
NC State University
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences		 North Carolina Bar Association
Elder Law Section



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