Documents You'll Need for an Estate Planning Appointment
Estate planning tends to get put off, partly because it can feel like a vague, overwhelming category rather than a concrete checklist. It’s actually a fairly well-defined set of documents — here’s what typically makes up a complete plan, and where notarization comes in for each one.
The Core Documents
A will. Directs how your assets are distributed and, if you have minor children, who should serve as their guardian. Florida requires two witnesses; notarization becomes relevant through the optional (but widely recommended) self-proving affidavit.
A durable power of attorney. Authorizes someone to manage your finances if you’re unable to. Requires notarization and two witnesses in Florida.
A healthcare surrogate designation. Names someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you can’t. Also requires notarization and two witnesses.
A living will / advance directive. Outlines your medical treatment preferences, particularly around end-of-life care.
A revocable living trust, if applicable to your situation. Often executed with will-like formalities, including notarization.
Why This List Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All
Not everyone needs every document on this list, and some situations call for additional ones — a trust might not be necessary for a simple estate, while a blended family or business ownership might call for more specialized planning. This is exactly the kind of decision that belongs with an estate planning attorney, who can assess your specific situation rather than applying a generic checklist.
Schedule Your Document Signing
A Practical Checklist for Your Appointment
Once your documents are drafted and ready to sign:
- Will (with self-proving affidavit)
- Durable power of attorney
- Healthcare surrogate designation
- Living will / advance directive
- Trust documents (if applicable)
- Valid, government-issued photo ID
- Two witnesses arranged and available
Can Everything Be Signed at Once?
Frequently, yes. If your attorney has prepared the full set of documents, it’s often efficient to sign and notarize everything in a single sitting rather than scheduling separate appointments for each piece. This is worth confirming with your notary in advance, particularly if the total document count is substantial, so enough time gets set aside.
Where Notarization Fits Into the Bigger Picture
Notarization is one of the final steps in estate planning — after the documents are drafted, reviewed, and ready. Our posts on medical vs financial power of attorney, whether wills need to be notarized, and what happens during a trust signing go deeper into the notarization requirements for each individual document.
Coordinating Witnesses
Since several of these documents require two witnesses alongside the notary, it’s worth arranging witnesses ahead of time — friends, coworkers, or family members (as long as they’re not named as agents or beneficiaries in a way that creates a conflict) can typically serve in this role.
Scheduling Your Signing
Once your attorney has your documents ready, Easy Day Notary can handle the notarization for your full estate plan in person or through Remote Online Notary, with witnesses joining either way. Contact us to coordinate timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the minimum set of documents for a basic estate plan?
Most estate planning attorneys recommend at least a will, a durable power of attorney, and a healthcare surrogate designation as the foundation, even for relatively simple situations.
Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
It depends on your goals — a will alone is sufficient for many people, while a trust adds benefits like avoiding probate for specific assets. This is worth discussing with an estate planning attorney based on your situation.
Can all of these documents be notarized in one appointment?
Often, yes — if everything is drafted and ready, multiple estate planning documents can frequently be signed and notarized in a single sitting.
How often should an estate plan be updated?
Many attorneys recommend reviewing every few years or after major life events — marriage, divorce, a new child, a significant change in assets — though this is a conversation for your attorney, not a notary.