Free end-of-life planning checklist (printable)

Most people plan to get their affairs in order. They just never quite get there. Life gets busy, the topic feels heavy, and before long another year has passed with nothing written down.

This checklist is a way out of that loop. It's organized into sections you can tackle one at a time, in any order, at whatever pace works for you. You don't need to do everything this week. You just need to start somewhere.

Why a checklist is the most useful format

End-of-life planning advice usually falls into two categories: high-level talks about why it matters, or 40-page guides so thorough you close the tab immediately. What most people actually need is something in the middle, specific enough to act on but short enough to finish.

A checklist does something else, too. It makes the invisible visible. Many people assume their family "knows what they want," only to find out after a crisis that their spouse didn't know where the life insurance documents were and nobody had the bank account login. A completed checklist gives your family a roadmap for one of the worst weeks of their lives.

If you want a more detailed walkthrough of the planning process, the end-of-life planning checklist guide goes deeper into the reasoning behind each category.

Section 1: Legal documents

These are the documents that give your wishes legal weight. Without them, decisions about your estate and your medical care may be made by a court or by default rules that have nothing to do with what you actually wanted.

Will (last will and testament)

A will directs how your assets are distributed and, if you have minor children, names who you want to raise them. Without one, state intestacy laws decide, and the result may not reflect your wishes at all. The consequences of dying without a will are often more disruptive than people expect.

I have a valid, signed will
My will names an executor
My will names a guardian for minor children (if applicable)
My will is stored somewhere my executor knows about
My will has been reviewed in the last five years

Durable power of attorney

This document names someone to manage your finances if you become incapacitated. Without it, your family may need to go through a court process just to access accounts or pay your bills.

I have a durable power of attorney for finances
My agent knows where to find the document
My agent understands what the role involves

Healthcare proxy / medical power of attorney

A healthcare proxy names who can make medical decisions for you when you can't make them yourself. This is a different document from a living will. It names a person rather than outlining specific preferences.

I have a healthcare proxy (or medical power of attorney)
My healthcare agent has a copy
My healthcare agent and I have talked about my general wishes

Section 2: Medical and healthcare preferences

These documents spell out what you want, and what you don't want, when you can't speak for yourself. They save your family from having to guess.

Advance directive / living will

An advance directive covers your preferences around life-sustaining treatment, resuscitation, and end-of-life care. Some states combine the healthcare proxy and advance directive into one form. The difference between an advance directive and a living will varies by state, so it's worth checking your local requirements.

I have a completed advance directive
My doctors have a copy on file
My healthcare agent and close family members have copies
I've included any specific wishes about pain management, hospice, or artificial nutrition

POLST / MOLST form (for those with serious illness)

A POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) or MOLST form is a medical order, not just a preference document. It's typically used by people with serious illness or advanced age, and it carries more immediate weight than a standard advance directive. Ask your doctor if this applies to your situation.

I've asked my doctor whether a POLST applies to me
If applicable, it's completed and accessible

Organ and tissue donation

I've registered my donation preference with my state's donor registry
My family knows my wishes (even if they're registered, make sure they know)

Section 3: Financial accounts and insurance

Your family can't access what they can't find. This section is about documentation, not about having everything perfectly organized. Just leaving enough of a trail that someone can follow it.

Bank and investment accounts

I have a list of accounts (institution name, account type, rough value)
Beneficiaries are named on accounts where possible (these pass outside probate)
Someone knows where this list is kept

Life insurance

I have a list of active life insurance policies
Each policy lists a current beneficiary
My beneficiary information is up to date (especially after divorce, remarriage, or a child's birth)
The policies are accessible, or my executor knows where to find them

Retirement accounts (401k, IRA, pension)

Beneficiaries are designated on each account
I've confirmed beneficiary designations are current

Debts and obligations

I have a list of outstanding debts (mortgage, car loans, credit cards)
My executor knows about any co-signed loans that could affect someone else

Digital accounts and passwords

I have a password manager or a secure record of important logins
My executor can access the password record with clear instructions
I've listed any accounts with meaningful digital assets (PayPal balances, cryptocurrency, etc.)

Section 4: Funeral and burial preferences

Most families don't know what their loved one would have wanted. Leaving instructions means your family doesn't have to figure it out during a week when they're barely holding it together.

I've noted my preference: burial or cremation
I've noted any religious or cultural preferences for the service
I've indicated whether I want a formal service, a gathering, or no service
If I have a preference about where my remains go, I've written it down
I've noted any funeral home pre-arrangements or prepaid plans
My wishes are somewhere accessible, not locked in a cabinet nobody can open

Section 5: Personal documents and records

These are the documents your family will need in the days and weeks after you die, not just eventually, but right away.

Section 6: Personal wishes and messages

The rest of this checklist is about logistics. This section isn't.

A letter of instruction is an informal document that sits alongside your will. It might explain why you made certain choices, offer guidance about sentimental items, or just say something your family can read at the gathering. It has no legal standing, which also means no restrictions. You can write whatever you want, however you want.

Many people find this is the part that matters most to them. It's also the part most people skip, and the part their families most wish they hadn't.

I've written (or started) a letter of instruction
I've noted who should receive specific sentimental items
I've written letters to individual family members, if that feels right
My family knows how to find these letters

If you're not sure where to start with personal messages, talking to your family about your wishes can make the process feel less like an event and more like an ongoing conversation.

One last thing before you start

Don't wait for the right moment. There isn't one. You'll feel ready to do this roughly when you no longer need to, which is not a useful timeline.

The families who look back on this process with relief are the ones who never had to sort through confusion while already grieving. The work you do now doesn't just protect your assets. It gives the people you love a little less to figure out on one of the hardest days of their lives.

Print this out, or bookmark it, and work through one section this week. If you want a place to keep everything together, When I Die Files stores your documents, wishes, and letters where your family can find them when the time comes.