Frequently Asked Questions
Bequestor is designed to help estate planning firms and their clients bring clarity to the personal belongings, wishes, and legacy details that may not fit neatly into formal legal documents.
These questions explain how Bequestor supports the planning process, what it is intended to do, and how clients can use it to create a clearer record for the people who may one day need it.
For Estate Planning Firms
What is Bequestor?
Bequestor is a web-based legacy organizer that helps clients document personal belongings, add photos and notes, identify intended beneficiaries, and maintain a clear record of their wishes for future reference.
How does Bequestor support an estate planning firm?
Bequestor gives firms a practical way to help clients address the personal belongings and legacy details that often fall outside the main estate planning documents. It can strengthen the planning experience by giving clients a structured tool for information that might otherwise remain informal, scattered, or unclear.
Is Bequestor intended to replace estate planning documents?
No. Bequestor is not a will, trust, codicil, memorandum, or legal instrument. It is designed to support estate planning by helping clients organize personal wishes and contextual information in a clear, accessible record.
Does Bequestor provide legal advice?
No. Bequestor does not provide legal advice. Legal guidance should always come from a qualified attorney. Bequestor is a recordkeeping and organization tool that can support the planning work an attorney already provides.
Can a firm invite clients to use Bequestor?
Yes. Bequestor is designed around a firm-facing model. A firm can invite clients to create their own legacy record and use the tool as part of a more complete planning experience.
Can attorneys view a client’s record?
Bequestor is designed so firms can maintain read-only access to a client’s latest saved record for reference. This allows the firm to review the client’s organized information without changing the client’s entries.
For Clients and Families
Why would a client use Bequestor if they already have a will or trust?
Many wills and trusts focus on legal and financial matters. Personal belongings, sentimental items, household possessions, collections, photographs, and family heirlooms may not be described in detail. Bequestor helps clients preserve those details so their intentions are easier for others to understand.
What types of belongings can be documented?
Clients can document sentimental belongings, household items, jewelry, artwork, collections, family photographs, heirlooms, vehicles, property-related notes, personal instructions, and other meaningful items they want clearly identified.
Can clients include photos?
Yes. Photos are an important part of the Bequestor record because they help identify belongings clearly and reduce confusion later.
Can clients add personal notes or stories?
Yes. Clients can include notes, descriptions, locations, instructions, and personal context so others understand not only what an item is, but why it matters.
Can more than one beneficiary be listed for an item?
Yes. Bequestor is designed to support beneficiary assignments, including shared percentages when an item or instruction should be divided among more than one person.
Can a client update their record over time?
Yes. A client’s record can be updated as belongings, family circumstances, or preferences change.
Records, Access, and Security
What does the Bequestor record include?
A Bequestor record may include client information, attorney details, executor information, beneficiary details, belongings, photos, notes, locations, intended recipients, and other instructions the client chooses to preserve.
Can the record be downloaded?
Yes. Bequestor is designed to allow a client to generate a read-only record that can be saved, printed, or shared with an attorney, executor, or trusted advisor.
Who controls the information entered into Bequestor?
The client controls the information they enter and maintain in their record. They can update details, add items, and revise their wishes over time. The client’s estate planning firm retains read-only access to the record for reference as part of the planning process. Clients may also choose whether to share their record with others, such as an executor or trusted advisor.
Is the information private?
Privacy is central to the purpose of Bequestor. A client’s information should be treated as sensitive planning information and shared only with the people the client chooses, such as their attorney, executor, or trusted advisor.
Should clients store passwords or account numbers in Bequestor?
No. Bequestor is intended to organize belongings, wishes, and legacy instructions. Clients should avoid storing passwords, full account numbers, or highly sensitive access credentials in their record.
What happens if a client does not finish their record?
An unfinished record can still provide useful information, but clients should be encouraged to review and update their entries so the record remains as complete and accurate as possible.
Using Bequestor in Practice
When should a client complete Bequestor?
Bequestor can be introduced during the estate planning process, after signing core documents, during a planning review, or whenever a client wants to organize personal belongings and legacy wishes more clearly.
Does Bequestor need to match the client’s legal documents?
Clients should consult their attorney to understand how their Bequestor record relates to their estate plan. Bequestor is meant to support clarity, but it does not override formal legal documents.
Can Bequestor reduce family conflict?
No tool can guarantee that conflict will be avoided, but a clear record can reduce uncertainty and help families, executors, and advisors better understand the client’s wishes.
Why is Bequestor offered through estate planning firms?
Bequestor is most valuable when it supports a thoughtful planning process. Offering it through firms helps position the record alongside the client’s broader estate planning work rather than as an isolated consumer tool.