Originally published: 29 September 2016 | Last updated: 11 September 2025
TL;DR: A complete estate plan in the UK requires seven essential documents which include Last Will and Testament and Lasting Power of Attorney for Property and Financial Affairs and Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare and Advance Decision (Living Will) and Funeral Wishes and Asset Inventory (LifeLocker) and Digital Vault for personal messages and ethical wishes. All of these must be prepared while you have full mental capacity. The process becomes impossible to start after someone loses their ability to make decisions.
What is an estate plan?
An estate plan consists of documents which help you control your medical care and financial resources during your life span and establish how your assets will distribute after your death. The key word is plan: all of these documents describe what should happen if you cannot take care of things yourself. You name trusted individuals to act on your behalf and provide them with clear instructions.
Critical point: You can only prepare these documents while you have full mental capacity. You cannot create these documents after you lose your ability to make decisions because of an illness or accident. People need to start their estate planning process without any delays because of this situation.
What are the 7 documents in a complete estate plan?
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Document
Purpose
When It Applies
1Last Will and TestamentDistributes your estate and makes key appointmentsAfter death
2LPA. Property & Financial AffairsAuthorises someone to manage your financesDuring incapacity
3LPA. Health and WelfareAuthorises someone to make health decisionsDuring incapacity
4Advance Decision (Living Will)Records your medical treatment preferencesDuring incapacity
5Funeral WishesRecords your funeral and burial preferencesAfter death
6Asset Inventory (LifeLocker)Lists all accounts, policies, and assetsDuring incapacity / After death
7Digital Vault / Ethical WillStores personal messages and intangible wishesAfter death
1. Last Will and Testament
Your Will functions as the base which supports your complete estate planning strategy. It allows you to:
The document enables you to select an Executor who will handle your estate distribution process. You need to choose guardians who will care for your children until they reach adulthood. The document should include particular gifts which you want to give and a residuary clause to handle all remaining assets which need to be given. The document allows you to develop trusts which will protect children who need protection. The document allows you to leave your assets to charity organizations.
A properly drafted Will from LegalWills.co.uk typically runs 5: 6 pages and includes over 20 clauses. The document requires two witnesses to watch you sign it before the law will recognize it as a valid document.
2. Lasting Power of Attorney for Property and Financial Affairs
If you lose mental capacity, through illness, accident, or age-related conditions like dementia, someone needs legal authority to manage your finances. Your family members need to file an application with the Court of Protection because this process will cost them thousands of pounds and take several months to complete while causing them emotional distress.
A Property and Financial Affairs LPA allows your chosen attorney to:
The attorney must handle all financial activities which include bill payment and bank account management and investment oversight. The attorney needs to manage all property sales and management tasks. The attorney must manage all tax-related matters which affect the person. The attorney must have permission to make financial choices which impact the person.
The Office of the Public Guardian requires this LPA to undergo registration before it becomes operational.
3. Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare
A separate LPA covers health and welfare decisions. Your attorney needs to have full authority to decide about your medical treatment and care and your living arrangements and care home selections and your regular care needs and your right to receive life-sustaining treatment when you give them this power. The LPA becomes active when you lose your ability to make these decisions independently. The Office of the Public Guardian requires this document to undergo registration.
4. Advance Decision (Living Will)
You can create an Advance Decision to specify which medical treatments you would like to deny when you become unable to make decisions. You have the right to deny life support medical procedures which would keep you alive under specific situations. An Advance Decision functions as a direct command which differs from an LPA because it does not give someone else the power to act on your behalf.
An Advance Decision that refuses life-sustaining treatment must be in writing, signed, and witnessed. Healthcare providers must follow these instructions because they possess legal authority to do so.
5. Funeral Wishes
The document which contains your funeral wishes should exist separately from your Will. The reason: your Will typically goes through probate before it is officially administered, and by that time your funeral will have already taken place. A separate funeral wishes document can be accessed immediately by your family.
The free MyFuneral service at LegalWills.co.uk enables you to document your funeral preferences which include burial or cremation choices and service type and musical selections and reading preferences. Store this document with your Will so your family can find it easily.
6. Asset Inventory (MyLifeLocker)
Your Executor requires you to provide a complete inventory of all your assets together with banks and financial institutions and vital documents. The absence of this information would force them to spend numerous weeks investigating bank accounts together with insurance policies and pension details and property documents. The MyLifeLocker service at LegalWills.co.uk enables you to store all this data securely in one centralized location.
7. Digital Vault and Ethical Will
The modern estate plan includes a digital vault for storing personal messages, family stories, and intangible wishes. Sometimes called an “ethical Will.” This might include letters to loved ones, explanations for decisions in your Will, family history, or personal values you want to pass on. Your family will find these documents useful for emotional support because they do not possess legal authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Will and an estate plan?
A Will exists as a single document which forms part of an estate plan. A complete estate plan requires you to have a Will together with Lasting Powers of Attorney and Advance Decisions and funeral wishes and asset documentation. The Will only takes effect after death; the other documents protect you during your lifetime.
How much does a complete estate plan cost?
At LegalWills.co.uk, a Will costs £49.95. Lasting Powers of Attorney have a government registration fee of £82 each. Advance Decisions, funeral wishes, and the LifeLocker service are free. A complete estate plan can be assembled for under £250. Far less than a solicitor would charge.
Do I need both types of Lasting Power of Attorney?
Yes. They cover different decisions. The Property and Financial Affairs LPA handles money matters; the Health and Welfare LPA handles medical and care decisions. You should have both.
Can I prepare an estate plan online?
Yes. All seven documents can be prepared online at LegalWills.co.uk. The Will and LPAs require physical signing and witnessing; the other documents can be completed entirely online.
When should I start my estate plan?
You need to wait until your eighteenth birthday before you can start. Every document in an estate plan requires mental capacity to create. The process becomes impossible to start after someone loses their ability to make decisions. The younger and healthier you are when you prepare these documents, the more comprehensive your protection.
He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets and has contributed to articles in most leading publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books.
Throughout his career, Tim has written extensively on the subject of Will writing and estate planning.
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