A form built for a state carries that state's execution requirements: the witness count, the notary fields, and the self-proving affidavit language where the state provides one. The Signing Requirements tool lists them by state and document type.

A will names who inherits and takes effect through probate, the court process that follows a death. A revocable trust holds assets during life and passes them under its own terms without probate. The two are often used together: the trust for the property placed in it, and a pour-over will for anything left outside the trust. The Trust or Will tool compares the two for a state.

A will, or a revocable trust with its pour-over will; a healthcare power of attorney; a financial power of attorney; and a living will. A transfer on death deed passes real property outside probate in the states that recognize it. Each document answers one question: who inherits, who makes medical decisions, who handles finances, and what treatment is wanted.