All practical guides · By Ellis Family Guides · Reviewed October 4, 2026
Read the guide below or print the worksheet. No email address, account or book purchase required.
Download the free Yearly Estate Check-upChoose a date you will remember
Set aside a recurring appointment with your organizer and the free Yearly Estate Check-up sheet. The sheet suggests a two-hour routine; you can split it into shorter sessions if that is more manageable.
The purpose is to spot changes and record follow-up tasks. You do not have to resolve every legal or financial question during the appointment.
Compare today’s information with last year’s
Look through your account list, insurance records, key contacts and document locations. Note anything that has been opened, closed, moved or replaced. Check whether the people listed can still be reached.
For each change, record the date and a next action. If you are unsure whether a change matters, put it on the list for the relevant professional.
Review the choices recorded in your documents
Read your existing will, powers of attorney and related documents with your current wishes in mind. Note questions about the people named, changed family circumstances or information that appears out of date.
Review account beneficiary records with the relevant institutions as a separate task. Do not assume that editing a personal organizer changes a legal document or an institution’s records. Ask about the correct process before making changes.
Refresh the practical instructions
- Check document locations and professional contact details.
- Update your record of accounts and insurance.
- Review the location of digital-estate instructions, without putting passwords in a shared worksheet.
- Tell the chosen trusted person about relevant changes.
Keep completed notes private. Use the organizer as a record of your review, not as a form to send back to Ellis.
Do not wait a year to raise an important change
A marriage, divorce, death, move, major purchase or change in health may create questions that deserve attention before your next annual appointment. Contact the appropriate professional rather than assuming the yearly routine is enough.
Finish by writing the next review date and choosing the first unresolved task to address. Even a short list makes the next conversation easier.
Your printable starting point
Download the free Yearly Estate Check-up (PDF)
Choose only the parts that help today. Keep completed pages in your own secure records.
If you would like a longer guide
For a combined guide to wills, living trusts and getting your affairs in order, explore Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning by Margaret K. Ellis. It combines revised material from Books One and Two with additional resources.
Explore Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning →Sources and further help
Published by Ellis Family Guides, the independent publishing brand for books by Margaret K. Ellis. Official resources are linked for further reading; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Educational information and organizing suggestions, not legal, financial, tax or medical advice. Confirm decisions with the appropriate professional or agency.