Estate Planning for Adults With No Kids: What Legacy Will You Leave?

When people think about estate planning, they often assume it’s only necessary if you have children. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, estate planning may be even more important for adults without children, since there’s no automatic “next in line” when it comes to making decisions or receiving your assets.

Whether you’re child-free by choice or circumstance, the real question is: What do you want your legacy to look like, and who will carry it out?

This guide walks you through key planning steps to protect your assets, honor your values, and ensure your wishes are clearly followed.

Choosing Beneficiaries: Who Will Inherit Your Assets?

Without children, you have both more flexibility and more decisions to make when selecting beneficiaries.

Common options include:

• Siblings, nieces, and nephews
• Close friends
• Charitable organizations or causes
• Trusted caregivers or companions
• A spouse or life partner (if unmarried, make sure this is clearly documented)

Tip: If you don’t name beneficiaries in your Will or Trust, the state will decide who inherits using a legal formula, one that may not reflect your wishes at all.

In addition to your Will or Trust, be sure to review the beneficiary designations on your retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and bank accounts. These designations typically override your Will, so they must align with your overall plan.

Beyond Family: Planning for Pets, Causes, and Chosen Family

Your legacy isn’t limited to who receives your assets, it’s also about the people, animals, and causes that mattered most to you.

Your Pets

If you have pets, they can’t legally inherit property, but they can be cared for through your Estate Plan.

You can:

• Leave funds to a designated caregiver for their ongoing care
• Set up a pet Trust to ensure those funds are used responsibly
• Include care instructions in a letter of intent
  

Charitable Giving

If there’s a cause or organization you care deeply about, consider:

• Leaving a lump sum gift in your Will or Trust
• Naming a charity as a beneficiary on an account or policy
• Creating a donor-advised fund or charitable remainder trust for ongoing giving
  

These options let you make a lasting impact in your own name.

Close Friends or Caregivers

Many child-free adults have a “chosen family”, friends, partners, or caregivers who play meaningful roles in their lives. Estate planning allows you to honor those relationships legally, especially since they would not otherwise have inheritance rights.

Note: Unmarried partners and friends only receive assets if you name them.

Avoiding Probate and Staying in Control

Probate, the court-supervised distribution of your estate, can be time-consuming, costly, and public. Proper planning helps simplify or avoid the process entirely.

Use a Revocable Living Trust

A Trust allows you to:

• Avoid probate for most or all of your assets
• Maintain privacy
• Name a successor trustee to manage your affairs
• Control how and when your assets are distributed
  

Create Powers of Attorney

If you become incapacitated, someone needs the legal authority to make decisions for you.

• A Healthcare Power of Attorney names who can make medical decisions
• A Financial Power of Attorney lets someone manage your finances
• An Advance Directive outlines your preferences for end-of-life care
  

These documents are especially important for child-free adults who may not have a built-in caregiver or advocate by default.

Keep Documents Updated

Life changes, so should your plan. Review your documents every few years, or after major events like marriage, divorce, or the death of a beneficiary.

Your Legacy, Your Way

Not having children doesn’t mean you don’t have people, causes, or animals you want to protect. Estate planning allows you to shape a legacy that reflects your values, relationships, and vision for the future.

It’s also a powerful act of clarity. You get to choose:

• Who benefits from your hard work
• Who speaks for you if you can’t speak for yourself
• How your life story continues even after you're gone
  

Final Thought: Your estate plan is more than a legal document, it’s a message to the world about what mattered to you. And when you don’t have children, it’s one of the clearest ways to define your legacy on your own terms.

If you have questions about this or any other matter, schedule a free call today with David Das.