Printable preparation tools
Vermont planning tools: choose a checklist or recordkeeping worksheet
Use these checklists to organize a legal conversation or print a working copy. Your selections stay in the browser and are not submitted through these tools. Keep private documents and account credentials out of an unsecured worksheet; an unchecked box is a question to resolve, not a legal finding.
Private by design
Arrive organized: keep this worksheet in your possession.
These tools do not submit, save, or transmit your selections. Avoid writing passwords, full account numbers, Social Security numbers, or sensitive medical details on an unsecured copy.
Estate-planning meeting organizer
A high-level inventory for the first planning conversation. Do not place account passwords or full identification numbers on this copy.
Elder-law and care-planning checklist
Organize authority, care, housing, finances, benefits, and immediate risks before a care or capacity meeting.
After-a-death document file
Build one protected working file before moving, selling, paying, or distributing estate property.
Executor and trustee recordkeeping checklist
Use separate accounts and a source-linked decision trail. The governing document and court orders control over this general list.
Fiduciary or inheritance dispute preservation list
Preserve potentially relevant material in its original form. Do not access another person's accounts, devices, or property without lawful authority.
Estate-plan health check
Use each unchecked item as a discussion prompt. This is a maintenance screen, not a legal sufficiency test.
Will-versus-trust question builder
Check the questions that deserve discussion before choosing a document structure.
Vermont probate readiness screen
Identify what is known, missing, or urgent before assuming that probate is, or is not, required.
Ready after preparing?
Use the checklist, then request a consultation.
Keep the completed worksheet in your possession. Send only your general category, county, timing, and contact information through the first-step form.
Questions about the planning tools
What are the eight tools?
An estate-planning meeting organizer, an elder-law and care-planning checklist, an after-a-death document file, an executor and trustee recordkeeping checklist, a dispute preservation list, an estate-plan health check, a will-versus-trust question builder, and a probate readiness screen. Each is used before a legal conversation.
How do I keep a copy?
Use your browser's print function, then either print on paper or choose to save as a PDF. Keep it in a secure place, since a filled-in copy can contain private details.
Who should use the estate-planning meeting organizer?
Anyone preparing to meet a lawyer about a will, trust, or complete plan; it lists people, property, documents, beneficiary designations, and questions. Unchecked items become discussion points for the meeting.
What does the after-a-death file help with?
It collects what a family or executor usually needs to find first: the will, certificates, deeds, account and insurance information, and urgent bills. It is a starting inventory, not a substitute for the court's forms.
Do the tools replace legal forms?
No. They prepare you for a legal conversation. The court's own forms and a lawyer's documents do the legal work; use the tools to organize, then follow the current Vermont Judiciary instructions for filings.
Can I share a completed tool with a lawyer?
Yes, through a secure channel the lawyer confirms. Do not email sensitive material through the consultation form. A short summary is usually enough for a first meeting.
Are the tools useful if I am not sure what I need?
Yes. Working through one shows what you have and what is missing.
The unanswered items point to the questions worth asking. You do not have to finish one before you ask for help.
How often should I redo the checklists?
After any major change: a marriage, divorce, birth, death, move, diagnosis, or sale of a business or home. Otherwise every year or two. Old checklists can mislead.
Is there a tool for people worried about a dispute?
Yes, the fiduciary or inheritance dispute preservation list; it helps you keep documents, notices, messages, and a timeline in order before anyone escalates. Preserving facts early helps a lawyer evaluate the situation.