End-of-Life Planning
Checklist
A comprehensive guide to preparing your digital legacy, personal recordings, legal documents, and meaningful messages for the people you love. Because the best time to plan is before you need to.
Digital Accounts & Passwords
- ☐Create a master list of all online accounts (email, social media, banking, subscriptions)
- ☐Set up a password manager and share access credentials with your trusted person
- ☐Configure legacy contacts on Apple ID, Google, and Facebook
- ☐Document cryptocurrency wallet keys and exchange access (these are NOT recoverable)
- ☐Set up inactive account managers on Google and Facebook for automatic handling
- ☐List all paid subscriptions so your family knows what to cancel
Voice & Video Recordings
- ☐Record a general video message for your family — the kind of thing you'd want to say
- ☐Record milestone messages (birthdays, graduations, weddings) for children and grandchildren
- ☐Upload memories and stories to AfterLive to create an interactive AI presence
- ☐Record yourself telling your favorite family stories — how you met your partner, your childhood
- ☐Capture your voice reading a bedtime story for future grandchildren
- ☐Film a walkthrough of your home pointing out meaningful objects and their stories
Legal & Financial Documents
- ☐Draft or update your will with a qualified attorney
- ☐Create an advance healthcare directive / living will
- ☐Designate power of attorney (financial and medical)
- ☐Review and update beneficiaries on life insurance, retirement accounts, and bank accounts
- ☐Consider setting up a living trust to avoid probate
- ☐Document the location of all important papers (deed, title, insurance policies)
Personal Legacy
- ☐Write an ethical will — a document passing down your values, life lessons, and wishes
- ☐Create a letter to each important person in your life
- ☐Document family recipes, traditions, and cultural knowledge
- ☐Write the story of your life — even a few pages is priceless to future generations
- ☐Record your ancestry information and family tree
- ☐Preserve photographs with written context (who, when, where, why it matters)
Funeral & Memorial Preferences
- ☐Document your preferences for burial, cremation, or alternative options
- ☐Choose music, readings, or speakers for your memorial service
- ☐Consider pre-paying funeral arrangements to reduce burden on your family
- ☐Decide on organ donation preferences and register your decision
- ☐Write your own obituary or provide key details for your family to use
- ☐Share preferences for memorial donations (charity vs flowers)
Free to start. Your first 5 memories are on us.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start end-of-life planning?
Now. You don't need a terminal diagnosis to plan. Unexpected accidents and sudden health crises happen at any age. The most common regret from grieving families is 'I wish we had talked about this sooner.' Even a basic checklist completed in your 30s gives your family enormous peace of mind.
What's the most important thing on this checklist?
Arguably the voice and video recordings. Legal documents are important but replaceable through attorneys. Financial accounts can be sorted out. But your voice, your mannerisms, the way you tell a story — once lost, they're gone forever. AfterLive makes this easy with guided prompts and AI preservation.
How does AfterLive fit into end-of-life planning?
AfterLive transforms your recordings and written memories into an interactive AI that your family can talk to. It's not just storage — it's preservation of your personality. Your grandchildren can ask 'What was grandma like?' and hear answers in your own words and speaking style.
What if I'm planning for a terminally ill family member?
Start with the recordings. Legal and financial items are urgent but can be handled by attorneys. Capturing their voice, stories, and personality is time-sensitive in a way nothing else is. Use AfterLive's guided prompts to have meaningful conversations that become a lasting memorial.
How often should I update my plan?
Review annually and after major life events (marriage, divorce, birth, death in the family, major financial changes). Digital accounts change frequently — new subscriptions, new passwords. Set a yearly calendar reminder to review your checklist.