Free comprehensive end of life planning checklist. Organize legal documents, financial accounts, and final wishes. Download our step-by-step guide today.
End-of-Life Planning
Planning for end-of-life can feel overwhelming, but this comprehensive checklist breaks it down into manageable steps. From essential legal documents and financial planning to memorial arrangements and digital assets, our free guide covers everything you need to plan ahead. Research shows that proper end-of-life planning provides peace of mind and prevents families from facing $15,000+ in additional legal costs. Download our printable checklist and start protecting your loved ones today—you don’t have to tackle everything at once.
Most people put off end-of-life planning because it feels overwhelming or uncomfortable. But having a comprehensive plan in place is one of the most thoughtful things you can do for your family, helping them navigate a difficult time with more clarity and less confusion.
This comprehensive end-of-life planning checklist will walk you through everything you need to consider, from important conversations to essential documents. Remember, you don’t need to tackle everything at once—work through this at your own pace, and don’t hesitate to ask for help from family, friends, or professionals along the way.
Why end-of-life planning matters
End-of-life planning isn’t just about writing a will. It’s a comprehensive process that includes:
- Essential document preparation
- Legal and medical document preparation
- Financial planning
- Memorial and final arrangements
- Personal and digital planning
Research-backed benefits: Studies show that people who complete end-of-life planning experience greater life meaning, profound relief, and lasting peace of mind—describing the feeling as “it’s done” while gaining security that their wishes will be honored and they won’t burden loved ones.
The cost of not planning: Families without proper end-of-life planning face an average of $15,000 in additional legal fees and months of court proceedings—money that could have gone to your loved ones.
Getting started
These first steps help create a solid foundation for your planning and ensure your wishes are clearly documented.
☐ Letter of Instruction: Create a detailed outline of all specific wishes, preferences, and important information for loved ones
☐ Important Documents: Gather and organize birth certificates, Social Security cards, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, military discharge papers, and insurance policies
☐ Contact Information: Compile a comprehensive list of key people, account details, professional advisors, and service providers
☐ Personal Items: Document instructions for meaningful possessions, heirlooms, and sentimental items
☐ Secure Storage: Establish a secure location (safe deposit box or fireproof safe) and inform trusted individuals of its location
Legal & medical end-of-life planning:
Working with professionals on these items ensures your wishes are legally protected and your medical preferences are understood and respected.
☐ Will: Consult with an attorney to create or update your will
☐ Trust: Consider establishing trusts if appropriate for your situation
☐ Power of Attorney: Designate someone for financial decisions if you become incapacitated
☐ Advance Healthcare Directive: Document your medical treatment preferences
☐ Healthcare Proxy/Medical Power of Attorney: Appoint someone to make medical decisions on your behalf
☐ HIPAA Authorization: Allow designated individuals to access your medical information
☐ Guardian Designation: If you have minor children, designate guardians
Financial planning
Organizing your financial information helps ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes and makes the process smoother for your family.
☐ Account Documentation: Create a comprehensive list of all financial accounts, including account numbers, institutions, and approximate balances
☐ Assets and Debts: Document all assets (real estate, vehicles, investments) and outstanding debts
☐ Beneficiary Updates: Review and update beneficiary information on all accounts, including retirement accounts and investment portfolios
☐ Life Insurance: Review and update life insurance policies and beneficiaries
☐ Credit Cards: List all credit cards and consider which should be closed
☐ Tax Records: Organize tax documents and inform executor of their location
☐ Digital Assets: Document cryptocurrency holdings, online investment accounts, and digital wallets
Memorial and final arrangements
These choices are totally personal to you, but making—and documenting—them now means your family won’t have to guess what you would have wanted. And having these decisions made ahead of time will create more clarity, and less confusion.
☐ Burial vs. Cremation: Decide on your preference and communicate this clearly
☐ Final Resting Place: Choose cemetery plot, nature-based location, or location for cremated remains
☐ Funeral Services: Consider pre-planning and pre-paying for funeral services
☐ Memorial Service: Outline preferences for type of service, location, music, readings, or speakers
☐ Obituary: Consider writing your own obituary or providing key information for others
☐ Donation Preferences: Specify any charitable donations you’d like made in your memory
☐ Organ/Body Donation: Register for organ donation or body donation to medical institutions if desired
Ready to get started? At Everis, we offer a modern, seamless way to pre-plan final arrangements from cremation to nature-based memorials and everything in between—entirely online with confidence and clarity. Get started preplanning
Personal and digital planning
There are so many practical details in our everyday lives that our families might not know about–from Netflix subscriptions to the electric company to who walks the dog. Documenting these details including account numbers will help family or close friends pay or close accounts on your behalf.
☐ Utilities and Services: Create a list of all utilities, subscriptions, and services including account number and whether they are paid monthly or on auto-payment for easy cancellation
☐ Social Media: Set up legacy contacts on Facebook, Google, and other platforms; document login information
☐ Email and Online Accounts: Document all online accounts with usernames and passwords (store securely)
☐ Digital Files: Organize important digital files, photos, and documents; specify how they should be handled
☐ Pets: Make arrangements for care of pets, including funding for their continued care
☐ Personal Letters: Consider writing letters to loved ones for future milestones or special occasions
☐ Digital Subscriptions: List all digital subscriptions (Netflix, Spotify, etc.) for cancellation
Did you know? When you plan ahead with Everis, your plan also includes ongoing support after the memorial for things like estate settlement and closing down digital accounts. It’s just one of the many benefits of choosing Everis, complete cremation arrangements where everything is included for $4,150.
Annual review
Your end-of-life plan isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it document—life changes, and your plan should evolve with it. Beyond yearly check-ins, update your plan immediately after major life events like marriage, divorce, the birth of children or grandchildren, significant financial changes, health diagnoses, or relocating to a new state.
☐ Review and update all documents as necessary
☐ Confirm beneficiary designations are current
☐ Update contact information for all advisors
☐ Review financial account information
☐ Reassess memorial and burial preferences
☐ Update digital account passwords and legacy contacts
Take action on your end-of-life plan
Creating a comprehensive end-of-life plan requires time and effort, but it’s one of the most loving acts you can perform for your family. Start with the basics—gather important documents and have initial conversations with loved ones.
Remember: you don’t need to complete everything at once. Work through this checklist at your own pace, and don’t hesitate to seek professional help when needed. Download our printable end-of-life planning checklist and begin organizing your important documents today.
Ready to start pre-planning? With Everis, prepay and plan everything you want on one platform: cremation wishes, nature-based memorials and all of the details that matter. Lock in today’s pricing—giving your family clarity, not confusion.
