Estate Planning Questionnaire | Cherry Hill Private Wealth

This questionnaire helps you organize everything your estate lawyer needs to draft or update your will and Powers of Attorney. A few things to know:

You don't need to finish in one sitting. Your progress saves automatically. Come back whenever you're ready — fill out what you know and skip what you need to think about.

Some sections only appear if they apply to you. The form adapts as you go, so you'll only see questions relevant to your situation.

You can share this with your spouse or partner. Use the share link to give them access to fill in their sections.

Upload documents as you go. Will, Powers of Attorney, deeds, insurance policies, tax returns — anything you have digitally. Our team will store them securely on your behalf.

When you're ready, hit submit. A copy goes to your Cherry Hill team, who will review it and coordinate with your estate lawyer. You'll also get a PDF copy for your own records.

Questions? Reach out to your Cherry Hill team at any point — we're happy to walk through any section with you.

Your Personal Information

Let's start with the basics. We'll use this information to identify you and coordinate with your lawyer.

Full Legal Name *

Aliases or Other Names You Go By

Street Address *

Phone Number

Email Address *

Date of Birth

Place of Birth

Citizenship(s)

Occupation

Employer

Social Insurance Number

Your lawyer may need this for the will. You can provide it later if you prefer.

Your Spouse or Partner

If applicable, tell us about your spouse or common-law partner.

Do you have a spouse or common-law partner?

Yes

Full Legal Name

Aliases or Other Names They Go By

Street Address

Phone Number

Email Address

Date of Birth

Place of Birth

Citizenship(s)

Occupation

Employer

Social Insurance Number

Date of Marriage or Cohabitation

Do you have a marriage contract, cohabitation agreement, or prenuptial agreement?

Yes

Tell us about the agreement

Upload the agreement document

📎

Drag and drop or click to upload

PDF, Word, or image files

Is this a second or subsequent marriage for either of you?

Yes

Tell us about previous marriages or relationships

Children & Dependents

List all children and dependents. We'll use this to determine if you need guardianship provisions and trusts.

Are there any other dependents not listed above? (e.g., grandchildren, siblings you support)

Yes

Are there any individuals you specifically want to EXCLUDE from your estate?

Yes

This is confidential and helps your lawyer draft the will properly. You don't need to explain your reasons here — your lawyer will discuss this with you.

Who should be excluded and why?

Guardian Appointments

If something happens to both parents, who should raise your children? This is one of the most important decisions in the entire document.

Primary Guardian

Alternate Guardian

Have you discussed this with your chosen guardian(s)?

Yes

Specific guardianship instructions or wishes

Is there anyone you specifically do NOT want to serve as guardian?

Yes

Who should be excluded and why?

Executor & Trustee Appointments

Your executor is the person responsible for carrying out your will. Your trustee manages any trusts created by the will. These can be the same person or different people.

Executor

Primary Executor

Alternate Executor

Executor Compensation

Would you consider a corporate executor (bank or trust company) as backup?

Yes

Unsure

Have you discussed this with your chosen executor(s)?

Yes

Trustee

If you're not sure whether you need a trustee, leave this blank for now — your lawyer will advise.

Primary Trustee

Alternate Trustee

Should the trustee be the same person as the executor?

Yes

Undecided — discuss with lawyer

Trustee Discretion

Describe the limitations

Powers of Attorney

Powers of Attorney are separate documents from your will. They take effect while you're alive, not after death. You need two types.

Power of Attorney for Property

Primary Attorney for Property

Alternate Attorney for Property

When should this POA take effect?

Do you want to place any restrictions on this attorney's powers?

Yes

Describe the restrictions

Power of Attorney for Personal Care

Primary Attorney for Personal Care

Alternate Attorney for Personal Care

Do you have specific wishes about life-sustaining treatment (if you become incapable)?

Yes

Describe your wishes

Do you have specific wishes about long-term care or residence decisions?

Yes

Describe your preferences

Any other instructions or guidance for your attorney?

If you already have POA documents in place, upload them in the Document Vault section below.

Estate Distribution

This section captures how you want your assets distributed.

Specific Bequests

List any specific items or amounts you want to go to specific people.

Residual Estate Distribution

How should the remainder of your estate be distributed?

Specify what percentage each child should receive. Total must equal 100%.

Describe the distribution

If a beneficiary dies before you, what should happen to their share?

Describe the alternate arrangement

Disaster Clause / Common Disaster Provision

This applies if beneficiary dies around the same time as you.

Charitable Giving

Do you want to leave money or assets to charity?

Yes

Trust Planning

If any of your beneficiaries are minors, have special needs, or you have concerns about their ability to manage an inheritance, a testamentary trust may be appropriate.

At what age should beneficiaries receive their inheritance?

Should distributions be staged (e.g., part at age 25, rest at 30)?

Yes

Should the trustee have discretion?

Describe the limitations

Are you interested in a Henshall Trust (for beneficiaries with creditor/relationship concerns)?

Yes

A Henshall Trust protects assets from being claimed by creditors or ex-partners.

Who should benefit from the Henshall Trust?

Any other trust instructions or considerations?

Business Interests

Tell us about any businesses you own or have stakes in. This is crucial for succession planning.

Do you own or have an interest in a business?

Yes

Funeral & Legacy Wishes

These preferences aren't legally binding, but they guide your family and executor.

This information also appears in the Family Guidance form. If you fill it in here, it will carry over.

How would you like to be remembered?

Have you arranged (or paid for) a funeral in advance?

Yes

Upload agreement or receipt

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Drag and drop or click to upload

PDF or image

Are you an organ donor?

Service Preferences

Preferred Charities for Donations in Lieu

Other Final Wishes or Messages

Document Vault & Locator

A complete map of where everything lives — and digital copies where possible.

Upload Documents

Important Locations

Safe Deposit Box or Bank Safe

Home Safe or Hidden Location

Storage Locker

For a complete digital account inventory, use the Family Guidance form.

Digital Assets

Digital assets are increasingly significant. List accounts and preferences here.

Email & Cloud Accounts

Cloud Storage

Social Media

Cryptocurrency & Digital Currency

Online Banking & Finance

Subscriptions & Services

Other Digital Assets

Do you own or operate any online business, website, or digital property?

Where do you store your passwords?

Provide details

Don't enter actual passwords here. Just tell us where to find them.

Any other digital information we should know about?

Additional Notes

Anything else your Cherry Hill team or lawyer should know.

Your Notes

Other Estate Concierge Tools

Executor Checklist — Step-by-step guide for settling an estate.
Estate Inventory Tracker — Comprehensive record of accounts, assets, and debts.
POA Financial Management Tracker — Tools for managing finances under Power of Attorney.
Family Guidance & Final Instructions — Personal guidance for your family — where to find things, who to call, and what matters most.