Wills and Estate Planning

An estate plan is a set of legal documents that outline how your assets will be managed if you become incapacitated (i.e., unable to manage your own assets after an illness or injury) or pass away. Most estate plans consist of a will, or a trust, plus a durable power of attorney for finances, a healthcare power of attorney, final wishes, and a guardianship designation if you have minor children. Other aspects of an estate plan may also include things like making your wishes known about your funeral and adding a life insurance policy.

Within the first year of purchase, many customers create their basic estate planning documents, such as a living will. The advantage of keeping the subscription beyond that first year is the ability to update your estate plan to accurately accommodate for the life changes and milestones you and your family may experience.

However, if you feel that you got everything you need from the first year (ex. created a living will) and do not see additional value in renewing, you can elect to cancel your subscription prior to the renewal period.

Creation of your estate planning documents, including:

• Last will and testament | Living will | Power of attorney | Pet trust and instructions | Guardianship directions | Final instructions | Instructions for property distribution and much more
• Storage of your documents in a secure Digital document vault | Estate plan documents you created  | Title and deeds | Insurance policies | Pet trust and instructions
• Accessing your Estate Snapshot | Know where you stand at any given point with respect to your assets and liabilities, how they will be distributed, as well as a list of all those personal items that have been accumulated

You don’t have to be tech savvy to use the estate planning platform. It is designed to be intuitive with a guided navigation experience that walks you through a step-by-step process. There are plenty of helpful tips and videos included along the way, as well as an email help line to answer any technical questions that come up.

If you have complex or large assets and holdings, seeking help from an estate attorney is a wise path to take in creating your estate plan. However, for Americans who have a straightforward asset structure, a self-serve solution like ODT’s could typically meet their estate planning needs.

Some people may feel that estate planning is something that only applies to the wealthy or if there are large properties or expensive assets in involved. The reality is that everyone can benefit from having an estate plan. No matter the size of your estate, if you don’t have an estate plan, the decisions around how your assets are distributed are determined by the state in which you reside.

If you pass or become incapacitated without an estate plan in place, your belongings will be administered and distributed according to the laws of the state you live in. This could mean that the distribution of your assets may not align with your wishes. This may place added emotional and financial burdens on your surviving loved ones.