Estate Planning Checklist
Texas Estate Planning Checklist
Use this checklist to gather the documents and decisions a Texas estate plan generally covers before your first consultation.
How to use this checklist
Work through it before your consultation, not during it.
Go item by item and note what you already have, what is missing, and what feels unclear. You do not need finished answers. The goal is to walk into the first meeting knowing what exists, what does not, and what questions to ask.
What to gather
Collect documents, account details, and family facts.
Pull together any existing will, power of attorney, or medical directive, along with a list of financial accounts, real property, and life insurance or retirement beneficiaries. Add basic family information, including names of a spouse, children, and anyone you would want to name as a guardian, agent, or executor.
When to update
Revisit the plan after major life changes.
Marriage, divorce, a new child, a death in the family, a move, a new property purchase, or a significant change in assets are all reasons to review your documents. As of 2026, there is no fixed legal deadline for updates, so most families review their plan every few years or after a major event, whichever comes first.
How we help
The checklist
The first call should turn a confusing legal issue into a clearer next step.
- Last will and testament
States who receives your property, names an executor to carry out your wishes, and can name a guardian for minor children.
- Durable power of attorney
Names someone to manage your finances, property, and business matters if you become unable to handle them yourself.
- Medical power of attorney
Names someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you cannot communicate your own wishes.
- HIPAA release
Authorizes doctors and hospitals to share your medical information with the people you name, so they can act on your behalf without delay.
- Directive to physicians
Records your wishes about life-sustaining treatment in an end-of-life situation, generally known as a living will in Texas.
- Beneficiary designations
Lists who receives life insurance, retirement accounts, and payable-on-death accounts, which generally pass outside of a will.
- Guardianship for minor children
Names who would raise your children if both parents are unable to, a decision that can generally be made in a will.
- Deed and property review
Confirms how your home and other real property are titled and whether that title matches your overall plan.
- Digital accounts and passwords
Records logins, email accounts, and online financial or subscription accounts so a trusted person can find and manage them.
- Review cadence
Sets a plan to revisit your documents every few years or after a major life change, so the plan stays current.
Why Ted Smith Law Group
Estate planning is local, personal, and document-sensitive. Ted Smith Law Group keeps the first conversation grounded in the documents you already have and the ones you still need.
- Local office in Killeen
- The firm works from its Killeen office on E. Stan Schlueter Loop.
- 1976
- Ted Smith opened his Killeen practice after Fort Hood JAG service.
- 536
- Rated 4.6 stars by 536 clients on Google.Read the reviews
“Ted Smith and his legal assistants Carol and Crystal are highly recommended.”
Questions
Estate Planning Checklist FAQ.
Do I need a lawyer to use this checklist?
The checklist itself is just a way to organize information before a consultation. Texas has specific signing and witnessing requirements for wills, powers of attorney, and medical directives, so most families still have an attorney prepare and finalize the documents.
What if I already have a will from another state?
An out-of-state will can generally still be valid in Texas, but the details are worth reviewing with an attorney, especially if your property, family situation, or state of residence has changed since it was signed.
Is a power of attorney the same as a will?
No. A power of attorney lets someone act for you while you are alive, and it ends at death. A will only takes effect after death and controls how your property is distributed.
What should I bring to the consultation?
Bring any existing will, power of attorney, or medical directive, a list of accounts and property, and names of the people you are considering as an executor, agent, or guardian. If nothing exists yet, that is normal, most planning starts from zero.
Start the estate-planning conversation.
Call or text the Killeen office and the team will get back to you, usually within one business day.