Whether you're running a law firm, working as an independent attorney, or offering legal consultancy, this Will and Trust Questionnaire can streamline your operations. It's specially designed to gather comprehensive estate planning data from clients, helping you draft accurate legal documents in no time. Now, you can focus more on providing top-notch legal services, and less on paperwork. Let’s get started.
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Questions to include on your Will and trust questionnaire
1. Client Basic Information
This group of questions will gather basic information about the client making the will. This information will be useful for identifying the client in the system and for communication purposes.
- What is your full name?
- What is your date of birth?
- What is your address?
- What is your email address?
- What is your phone number?
2. Estate Information
In this section, you're gathering information about the client's assets and liabilities. This information will be crucial in the will and trust planning process.
- What is the estimated value of your real estate properties?
- What is the estimated value of your personal property (vehicles, jewelry, furniture, etc.)?
- What is the estimated value of your financial assets (stocks, bonds, savings)?
- Do you have any outstanding debts or liabilities? (Yes, No)
- If yes, what is the estimated total of your debts or liabilities?
3. Beneficiary Information
In this section, you'll be collecting information about the beneficiaries. This information is essential for the will execution and trust distribution.
- What is the full name of your first beneficiary?
- What is the relationship of your first beneficiary to you?
- What is the full name of your second beneficiary?
- What is the relationship of your second beneficiary to you?
- Do you have any more beneficiaries? (Yes, No)
- If yes, please provide their names and relationships.
The question about additional beneficiaries allows you to capture information for clients who have more than two beneficiaries. It eliminates the need for numerous individual text fields.
4. Executor Information
These questions are about the person or persons who will execute the will. It's important to include this in the questionnaire as this is a fundamental part of the will.
- Who will be your will's executor?
- What is the executor's relationship to you?
- Do you have an alternative executor? (Yes, No)
- If yes, who will be the alternative executor and his/her relationship to you?
The question about an alternative executor is important as it allows for a backup plan in case the primary executor is unable or unwilling to perform their duties.
5. Special Requests
These questions capture any special requests or directives the client may have for their estate.
- Do you have any specific wishes for your burial or memorial service?
- Do you have any special instructions or wishes for the distribution of your estate?
- Do you wish to donate to any charity or organization? (Yes, No)
- If yes, please state the name of the charity or organization and the amount or property to donate.
The question about charitable donations is important, as it provides an opportunity for clients to express their philanthropic wishes, which must be taken into account when preparing the will or trust.
Things to consider
- Legality and Accuracy - Ensure all questions are legally sound and accurate. Consult with a legal expert if necessary. This prevents potentially serious issues later on.
- User Experience - Use clear, concise, and simple language to make it easy for the client to understand each question. The form should be logically ordered and easy to navigate.
- Privacy and Security - As you're dealing with highly sensitive information, ensure that your form is secure, and that you're clear about how you handle and store data.
- Required and Optional Fields - Clearly mark which fields are required and which are optional. This makes it easier for the client to complete the form and improves data completeness.
- Error Handling - Make sure you provide clear and immediate feedback when the user makes a mistake, like entering an email address in an incorrect format. This prevents frustration and form abandonment.
- Progress Indicators - If the form is long, consider using progress indicators. This lets the client know how much of the form they have left to complete.
- Save and Resume Functionality - Since this form might take a while to complete, include a save and resume option. This allows clients to fill out the form at their own pace, improving completion rates.
How to create your Will and trust questionnaire
Now that you know what questions you should include, it's time to build your form!
The only problem is that traditional forms tools are inefficient.
People will forget to fill out your form. They'll get stuck halfway and not be able to finish it. Or they'll send you the wrong stuff. You end up wasting hours chasing people down over email.
That's why you should give Content Snare a try.
Content Snare is packed with advanced features that will have you hours:
- Automatic reminders - Remind people to complete their form with fully customizable reminders.
- Reject incorrect information - If a single question is filled out incorrectly, ask your client to re-do just that one item.
- Autosaving - No progress gets lost. People can fill out forms in multiple sittings.
- Comments and questions - If the person filling the form gets stuck, they can ask a question without having to email you.
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