5 Essential Legal Documents Every Adult Must Have to Protect Your Family

As we navigate life’s twists and turns, one thing remains certain: every adult must have five legal documents—each one signed, dated, notarized as necessary, and kept in a safe place that someone else knows about and can retrieve at a moment’s notice. These crucial papers ensure that your wishes are honored and your loved ones are protected—no matter what life brings. Here’s a simple guide to the must-haves for your estate plan, including a will, healthcare directives, and more.

It’s been years since my husband and I sat for hours with an attorney specializing in estate planning. That was not the most pleasant thing I’ve ever done. We were young, and the idea of being old and planning for our respective deaths seemed ludicrous.

That meeting, together with nearly $2,500, made us the proud owners of a Family Trust and Estate Plan, which includes our individual five important legal documents that every adult must have—absolutely. I’m grateful to have gone through that ordeal, but in hindsight, I’m certain we could have avoided much of the stress and cut the cost, too.

Even if you’re sure you have all of your essential legal documents in order, please be certain about that. Did you get married? Have a baby? Buy a house? Life changes, laws change, and regulations get upgraded without notice. It’s possible your documents could use an update.

Wake-up Message

Recently, a letter from Jenny reminded me that we need to update the documents in our Estate Plan—our lives have in so many ways over the years. For starters, we moved to a new state.

Thankfully, we now have an option to do this ourselves—legally and properly—for a whole lot less than it cost us decades ago. More about that in a bit. But first, the letter that popped up in my virtual mailbag:

Dear Mary: I’m 50, married, and have two adult children. Our financial life is not complicated. I do not have a Will and know that I should. Can I put faith in a simple Will done by one of the large online companies or is it in my family’s best interest that I hire a lawyer? I have read your work for many years and appreciate your advice. Thank you. Jenny

Thank you for the trust you put in me, Jenny. That is something I highly value. My quick answer is that absolutely you and your husband need individual Wills plus four other legal documents each, too.

I have a resource to recommend to you, which will help you do this yourself—a reputable legal help organization I believe you can trust without reservation.

Will this preclude the need to hire an attorney? It could, but I cannot advise you on that because every situation is different.

I can tell you that you can do this yourself and you be well protected now with all of your information and desires written down in proper legal order—and have that to take to an attorney if or when you find that necessary.

The Big Five

There are legal documents every adult must have—each one signed, dated, notarized as necessary, and kept in a safe place that someone else knows about and can retrieve at a moment’s notice:

• Will
• Advanced Directive
• Healthcare Power of Attorney
• Durable Power of Attorney
• Revocable or Family Trust

1. Will

A will is a legal document that designates who should receive your assets after death. It is not just for the elderly. Everyone, especially those with dependent children, must have a will. This allows you to name guardians for any dependent children. Without a will, the courts decide what happens to the assets and who is responsible for the kids. Your Will also names your executor—the person overseeing and protecting your interests if your estate needs to go to probate. Generally, your Will distributes the assets you hold and names an executor—the person who will handle the distribution and other affairs involved upon your death.

Some states recognize a “holographic will” if you just want to scribble something on a napkin and call it done. I do not recommend that, however. What a nightmare you would leave for your family that could lead to horrendous costs. Having no Will at all is even worse.

2. Advanced Directive

Also known as a Medical or Healthcare Directive,  this states what you want to have happen concerning extraordinary measures to keep you alive should you be terminal or permanently unconscious. Your Advanced Directive states whether you want artificial support for breathing and eating, such as a ventilator and feeding tube. The Advanced (Medical) Directive ensures your wishes will be respected at the end of life and provides clarity and guidance to family members.

3. Healthcare Power of Attorney

Your Healthcare Power of Attorney steps in if you cannot make medical decisions yourself. It names the person you want to make those decisions on your behalf. I highly recommend that you name up to five people in successive order to make sure there is someone there who is authorized to make these decisions for you.

4. Durable Power of Attorney

Sometimes referred to as Power of Attorney for Finances, this is the document by which you designate one or more persons to handle the financial aspects of your life, should you become temporarily or permanently unable to do so because you are mentally or physically incapacitated. We’re talking about simple things you might not think of but could become very problematic if you are unable to communicate—things like picking up your mail, paying your bills, filing your taxes, moving money from one account to another, filing for Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security; or any number of other issues pertaining to your finances.

5. Revocable Trust

This document gives your designated heir(s) immediate access and control of the assets you wish to pass to them upon your death, without the need to transfer ownership. You don’t have to be rich or have vast assets to benefit greatly with a Revocable or Family Trust. A life insurance policy, checking account, house, or any asset of value merits establishing a revocable trust. In this document, for which you will likely name yourselves as Trustee(s), you also name the successive Trustee upon your death.

There are other important advantages to this type of trust. For one thing, unlike a Will that becomes a matter of public record, a Trust is private. You may have an issue in your family that you don’t want to disclose to the public at large.

Without a trust, an estate must go through probate, a costly and lengthy process in which the court administers the distribution of the estate (your assets). And if the estate holds property in multiple states, it will have to go through probate in each state. Having all of your assets in a trust avoids probate. This document does other things as well, but this may be the most important.

• MORE: Home Buying Mistakes That Will Make You House Poor

How to Get the 5 Documents

Hire an attorney

Locate an attorney in your area that specializes in wills and estate planning. Make the appointment. You will likely be given a list of information and specific items you will need to bring with you to your appointment. This attorney will be prepared to create these documents based on all of the information you have gathered, together with your state’s best practices and laws.

DIY

Wait. Hear me out. With the right resources, you may be able to do this work yourself in a way that is legal, thorough, and quite possibly much easier (and cheaper) than the attorney option above. And with that, I have more than likely caused some in my audience to pull their hair out while shrieking in terror.

Let me be clear: I am not suggesting you open up a blank page in Word and just start typing out what you think will (pun intended) be suitable. NO! You must have the proper legal documents for your state. You need legal counsel. You need basically all that in a reliable format where you simply fill in the blanks.

Below, you will find the only DIY option that, in my opinion, meets the criteria mentioned, plus a lot more. And all of that for one flat rate that’s less these days than a single meal in a nice restaurant.

Resources

Quicken WillMaker & Trust 2025 from Nolo Press

Quicken WillMaker & Trust 2025 from Nolo Press

I recommend Quicken WillMaker & Trust 2025 from Nolo Press, a highly regarded and reputable online legal organization specializing in helping ordinary folks like you and me handle our basic legal needs.

Quicken WillMaker & Trust 2025 Plus Bundle includes dozens of forms starting with the big five documents mentioned above and also practical forms you can use every day to help run your home and keep your family safe, including authorizations and agreements, promissory notes, limited powers of attorney, and child and elder care forms, final arrangements, and lots more.

Quicken WillMaker & Trust 2025 Plus Bundle is compatible with the laws in every U.S. state (except for Louisiana*, U.S. Territories; not compatible with Canada). And boy is it easy to use—just fill in the blanks. And you can revise it in the future as necessary, without another big legal bill.

To be clear, once you make the purchase, you will not receive anything by mail. Nolo Press will email you the authorization link to download the entire Quicken WillMaker & Trust  bundle onto your computer’s hard drive.

Then, in the privacy of your own home, you will be able to customize the five documents mentioned above—all before tomorrow morning or at your own pace. When the time comes, you can depend on those documents to be correctly prepared, completely legal, and simple for those you will designate to be in charge of your finances, health, and possessions. The forms can be used multiple times for one year from purchase, so that other adults in your household can also create their legal documents.

The Nokbox

The Nokbox

If you’re like me, you probably have a few things—okay, maybe a lot of things—scattered around that you need to keep track of. From accounts and passwords to your pets’ favorite snacks and the names of your kid’s teachers, life can feel like one big puzzle. That’s where The Nokbox comes in, and let me tell you, it’s like having a personal assistant who helps you organize everything that matters—before, during, and after life’s big transitions.

The Nokbox helps you store important information about your accounts, possessions, social media profiles, family details, pets, and even your personal history. If you haven’t yet gotten around to organizing your estate plan (no judgment here!), this is a great way to start. It doesn’t replace having a formal plan, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. Plus, it’s an excellent resource for managing your everyday life, ensuring that all your bases are covered for those you love most.

*Because of Louisiana’s strict requirements, relying on a generic “Last Will and Testament” form is not wise. Failure to get the form right will result in an invalid document or lead to estate litigation due to Louisiana’s unique civil law system.

Nolo does offer this simple Willmaker for Louisiana residents that has been prepared and vetted by a team of attorneys. If you live in Louisiana and also wish to create your Durable Power of Attorney and Health Care Directive, see a Louisiana lawyer for help.

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