AI Estate Planning

What Estate Planning Copilot Does

The Estate Planning Copilot guides you through creating a comprehensive estate plan, including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and beneficiary designations. Estate planning attorneys charge $250 to $500 per hour, and a basic estate plan (will, power of attorney, healthcare directive) typically costs $1,500 to $3,000 according to Nolo's legal cost research. A plan with a revocable living trust runs $2,500 to $7,000. Yet an estimated 67% of Americans have no estate plan at all according to Caring.com's annual survey.

The copilot explains the critical differences between wills and trusts, including the fact that wills go through probate (a public court process that costs 3-7% of the estate value and takes 6-18 months), while assets in a properly funded revocable living trust pass directly to beneficiaries without probate. The American Bar Association (ABA) notes that probate costs and timelines vary dramatically by state. In California, probate on a $500,000 estate costs approximately $23,000 in statutory attorney and executor fees under Probate Code Section 10810, while in Texas, probate can be completed through a simpler independent administration for a few thousand dollars. A trust that avoids California probate entirely would have cost $2,500 to $5,000 to establish, saving the estate $18,000 to $20,000.

Beyond document creation, the copilot covers estate tax planning, which is critically important right now. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) doubled the federal estate tax exemption to $13.61 million per individual in 2024, but this provision is scheduled to sunset on January 1, 2026, reverting the exemption to approximately $7 million (adjusted for inflation). The IRS imposes a 40% tax rate on amounts above the exemption. For a married couple with a $15 million estate, the difference between planning under the current exemption versus the post-sunset exemption could be over $3 million in estate taxes. The copilot explains portability elections, annual gift tax exclusions ($18,000 per recipient in 2024), irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs), and generation-skipping transfer tax considerations.

The copilot also addresses the practical aspects of estate planning that attorneys often spend billable hours explaining: how to title assets properly (joint tenancy, tenancy by the entirety, community property with right of survivorship), how beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance override your will (a principle confirmed by the Supreme Court in Hillman v. Maretta (2013)), and how to plan for incapacity with durable powers of attorney and advance healthcare directives. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) emphasizes that advance directives are essential for everyone over 18, not just the elderly.

The SECURE Act of 2019 and SECURE Act 2.0 fundamentally changed inherited IRA rules, requiring most non-spouse beneficiaries to empty inherited retirement accounts within 10 years (the "10-year rule"). For large retirement accounts, this can create significant income tax consequences for heirs. The copilot helps you understand these rules and explore strategies like Roth conversions and charitable remainder trusts to minimize the tax impact. For business owners, the Business Formation Copilot addresses business succession planning, and the IP & Patent Copilot covers transferring intellectual property rights. For a broader look at how our AI copilots work across all domains, visit our How It Works page.

estate-planning - Coverage Gap

Example Conversation

Common Use Cases

Guardian nomination is one of the most important and most overlooked aspects of estate planning for parents. Without a guardian nomination in your will, a court will decide who raises your children based on state law preferences (typically nearest relatives). The ABA emphasizes that courts almost always honor a parent's stated preference, but without a will naming a guardian, custody disputes among relatives can cost $10,000 to $50,000 in legal fees and take months to resolve while children live in uncertainty. The copilot helps you think through this decision systematically, covering factors like values alignment, financial stability, willingness, location, and age of potential guardians, and explains how to structure backup nominations in case your first choice is unable or unwilling to serve.

Beneficiary designation review is another critical use case that many people miss entirely. Retirement accounts (401(k)s, IRAs) and life insurance policies pass to whoever is named as beneficiary, regardless of what your will says. The Supreme Court confirmed this principle for ERISA-governed plans in Kennedy v. Plan Administrator (2009). Outdated beneficiary designations are a leading cause of unintended inheritance outcomes, particularly after divorce and remarriage. According to AARP, an estimated 35% of Americans have outdated beneficiary designations that no longer reflect their wishes. The copilot helps you audit all beneficiary-designated accounts and ensure they align with your overall estate plan.

Estate tax planning around the TCJA sunset is the most time-sensitive use case right now. The current $13.61 million per-person exemption ($27.22 million for married couples using portability) is scheduled to drop to approximately $7 million per person on January 1, 2026. The IRS has confirmed through anti-clawback regulations (T.D. 9884) that gifts made under the current higher exemption will not be clawed back if the exemption decreases. This creates a limited window for high-net-worth families to lock in the higher exemption through gifting strategies, spousal lifetime access trusts (SLATs), and other irrevocable trust planning. The copilot explains these strategies and helps you determine whether accelerated planning makes sense for your estate size.

Inherited IRA planning under the SECURE Act affects millions of families. Before 2020, non-spouse beneficiaries could "stretch" inherited IRA distributions over their lifetime. The SECURE Act replaced this with a 10-year distribution requirement for most non-spouse beneficiaries. For a beneficiary inheriting a $500,000 traditional IRA, this could mean $50,000 per year in additional taxable income, potentially pushing them into a higher tax bracket. The copilot explores strategies like naming charitable remainder trusts as beneficiaries, converting traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs during your lifetime, and using the charitable qualified distribution (QCD) for philanthropic goals.

For business owners planning succession, the Business Formation Copilot covers buy-sell agreements and entity continuity. The Divorce & Family Copilot is important for anyone updating estate plans after a separation or divorce. The Tax Copilot helps with income tax implications of estate planning strategies.

estate-planning - Document Checklist

How It Works

Step 1: Tell the copilot about your family and assets. Provide information about your state, marital status, children and their ages, major assets (home, retirement accounts, investments, business interests), and any specific concerns or goals. The ABA's estate planning checklist recommends inventorying all assets with approximate values and ownership structure. The copilot uses this to assess which estate planning tools are appropriate for your situation and budget.

Step 2: Get a customized estate plan recommendation. Based on your situation, the copilot recommends the specific documents you need, whether a simple will is sufficient or whether a revocable living trust makes financial sense given your state's probate costs, estate size, and complexity. It explains the tradeoffs in cost, complexity, and protection for each option. For example, the AARP notes that trusts are generally cost-effective when estates exceed $500,000 in high-probate-cost states like California, but may not be necessary in states with simpler probate processes.

Step 3: Draft your documents with guidance. The copilot walks you through each document section by section, explaining what each provision means, what choices you need to make (like trustee selection, distribution ages, and guardian nominations), and what your state requires for valid execution (witnesses, notarization, self-proving affidavit). The Uniform Probate Code, adopted in some form by 18 states, requires two witnesses for valid will execution, while some states like Louisiana require notarization. The copilot knows your state's specific requirements.

Step 4: Implement and maintain your plan. Estate planning does not end with document creation. The copilot guides you through funding your trust (if applicable), updating beneficiary designations on all accounts, retitling assets, and scheduling reviews. The ABA recommends reviewing estate plans every 3-5 years or after major life events like marriage, divorce, birth of a child, or significant changes in net worth. With the TCJA sunset approaching in 2026, a review before year-end 2025 is especially important for estates that may be affected by the lower exemption.

Visit our How It Works page to learn more about the technology behind all our copilots.

estate-planning - Probate Costs

Why Estate Planning Copilot Beats ChatGPT

Estate planning mistakes are discovered only after death, when they cannot be fixed. A will signed with one witness in a state requiring two is invalid. A trust that was never funded provides no probate avoidance. A beneficiary designation naming an ex-spouse will deliver retirement funds to that ex-spouse regardless of what the will says, and under ERISA, this result is essentially unassailable for employer-sponsored plans. The Supreme Court confirmed this in Kennedy v. Plan Administrator (2009). These are not theoretical risks; the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) reports that estate litigation over preventable errors is a multi-billion dollar industry.

The difference between a $13.61 million estate tax exemption and the approximately $7 million exemption expected in 2026 could mean a tax bill of $2.5 million or more for families in that range, at the 40% federal estate tax rate. The IRS anti-clawback regulations confirm that gifts made under the current higher exemption are protected even if the exemption decreases, but this planning window closes at the end of 2025. Generic AI tools that do not track legislative changes and sunset provisions cannot provide the time-sensitive planning advice that the Estate Planning Copilot delivers.

See the full comparison across all categories, or explore how we compare to other AI tools.

estate-planning - Tax Sunset

Who Estate Planning Copilot Is For

Parents with minor children. Guardian nomination alone makes estate planning urgent for every parent. The ABA calls guardian designation the single most important estate planning action for parents of minors. Beyond guardianship, you need to ensure your children's inheritance is managed properly through trust provisions rather than handed to a teenager on their 18th birthday. A testamentary trust costs nothing extra when included in your will and provides decades of asset protection.

Married couples building wealth. As your net worth grows, the stakes of estate planning increase. The copilot helps you understand how asset titling, beneficiary designations, and document structure work together to protect your family and minimize costs. Joint tenancy with right of survivorship avoids probate for the first spouse's death but creates problems at the second death without additional planning. The copilot addresses these sequential planning needs.

People approaching or in retirement. With significant retirement account balances, pension benefits, and Social Security considerations, estate planning in retirement requires careful coordination. The copilot addresses required minimum distributions (RMDs) starting at age 73 under SECURE Act 2.0, inherited IRA rules under the SECURE Act's 10-year rule, and income tax planning for beneficiaries through strategies like Roth conversions.

Anyone who has experienced a major life change. Marriage, divorce, birth of a child, death of a spouse, significant inheritance, home purchase, or business formation all trigger the need to create or update estate planning documents. The AARP reports that 35% of Americans have outdated beneficiary designations, which is the most common estate planning mistake. The copilot helps you identify what needs to change and why.

High-net-worth families planning for the TCJA sunset. If your estate exceeds $7 million (individual) or $14 million (couple), the TCJA sunset on January 1, 2026 creates urgency for advanced planning. Strategies like spousal lifetime access trusts (SLATs), grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), and accelerated gifting can lock in the current higher exemption. The copilot explains these tools and helps you determine whether they are appropriate for your situation.

People helping aging parents. Understanding powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and long-term care planning is critical for adult children helping aging parents. The National Institute on Aging recommends beginning these conversations before a health crisis occurs. The copilot explains these tools and helps facilitate the conversation about incapacity planning, including the Medicaid look-back period for long-term care planning.

Related Copilots

Explore specialized legal and financial tools for related needs:

Looking for help in a different area? Browse our complete copilot directory or visit our pricing page for plan details.

Pricing and Value

Free Plan: Learn about basic estate planning concepts, understand the difference between wills and trusts, and explore what documents you need. Includes up to 5 conversations per month. No credit card required.

Pro Plan ($29/month): Unlimited conversations, personalized estate plan recommendations with state-specific guidance, document drafting assistance for wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, beneficiary designation audit, trust funding instructions, estate tax analysis including TCJA sunset planning, SECURE Act inherited IRA strategies, and ongoing plan review assistance. This is less than 10 minutes with most estate planning attorneys at $250-$500 per hour.

Enterprise: Solutions for financial advisory firms, insurance agencies, estate planning attorneys, and organizations that help clients with comprehensive planning. Includes API integration, custom workflows, and white-label deployment. Contact us for pricing.

The Cost of Not Planning: A basic estate plan through an attorney costs $1,500 to $3,000 according to Nolo. A plan with a revocable living trust runs $2,500 to $7,000. But the cost of not planning is far higher. Probate, which a good estate plan avoids, costs 3-7% of the estate value. For a $500,000 estate in California, that is $23,000 in statutory fees. For families affected by the TCJA sunset, the cost of inaction could be millions in avoidable estate taxes at the 40% federal rate. And for parents who die without a will, a guardian battle can cost $10,000 to $50,000 and put children through months of uncertainty.

At $29/month, the Pro plan helps you understand your options, make informed decisions, and either handle simpler planning yourself or maximize the value of professional attorney time by arriving prepared with clear goals and informed questions.

Browse all 131 copilots, explore task guides, or find copilots for your industry. Get started for free.