Once your estate plan is complete, the next question is usually, “Do I need to give anyone a copy of this?” It’s a good question—and the answer depends on how much you want others to know, and how much you trust them to keep things safe.
You don’t have to give anyone your full documents unless you want to. But at minimum, someone should know where to find them when the time comes.
Let’s start with your will. This doesn’t need to be passed around while you’re alive. But your named executor should know you’ve made one, and they should know where the original is stored. After death, the original will is what gets submitted to probate. A copy might not be accepted. If it’s locked away somewhere—like a safe deposit box—make sure your executor can access it. That might mean naming them on the box or storing the will somewhere more accessible.
If you’ve created a trust, you don’t have to give the full document to your beneficiaries, but your trustee should have a copy—and understand what their role involves. If they’ll be serving right away after your death, they’ll need it to manage your accounts, handle expenses, and eventually distribute the assets. It helps to go over this with them ahead of time so they’re not caught off guard.
For health care directives and financial powers of attorney, you should share those with the people named in them. If someone is expected to make medical decisions or manage bills on your behalf, they need the document in hand—or at least know where to get it. A copy should be given to your health care agent, and ideally kept on file with your doctor or hospital, too. For financial power of attorney, your chosen agent should be able to access it quickly if needed in an emergency.
You don’t need to give everything to everyone. In fact, in many families, it’s better not to. But the people named in your plan should be aware of their roles, and they should know how to access the documents if something happens to you.
If you’re unsure about giving someone a full copy, consider preparing a summary. A one-page overview that says, “Here’s who I’ve named, here’s where the originals are kept, and here’s who to call if something happens.” That way, your documents stay private—but people still know how to help.
The goal isn’t to broadcast your decisions. It’s to make sure that, when the time comes, no one is guessing or searching through drawers.
An estate plan doesn’t do much good if no one knows it exists.
