Free self-test
Is your estate
really arranged?
Most people believe they have arranged the essentials - until it actually matters. Answer 14 honest questions on will, lifetime provisions, assets and business. At the end you see your readiness score from 0 to 100 and the biggest levers, ranked by impact.
How well is your estate arranged?
Fourteen honest questions. At the end you see your readiness score and the biggest levers - stored locally in your browser, no sign-up.
Your answers stay exclusively local in your browser. No data is transmitted to any server.
Will & succession
Do you have a will or an Erbvertrag (German contract of inheritance)?
§ 1937 BGBDo you know who is entitled to a Pflichtteil (compulsory share) - and what that costs?
§ 2303 BGBIf married: are you aware of the binding effect of a joint will (Berliner Testament)?
§ 2271 BGBLifetime provisions
Do you have a Vorsorgevollmacht (precautionary power of attorney)?
§ 1820 BGBDo you have a Patientenverfügung (advance healthcare directive)?
§ 1827 BGBDo you have a Betreuungsverfügung (care directive) for an emergency?
§ 1814 BGBDoes a person you trust know where your documents are kept?
Assets & tax
Do you know the likely Erbschaftsteuer (inheritance tax) and your heirs' Freibeträge (allowances)?
§ 16 ErbStGDo you use the 10-year cycle for tax-free gifts?
§ 14 ErbStGAre your beneficiary designations (life insurance, accounts) up to date?
If you own property: have you considered a transfer with a reserved Nießbrauch (usufruct)?
§ 1030 BGB11 more questions until your score.
What the check covers
Four areas, one overall view
Good estate planning is more than a will. The check examines the four areas where things most often go wrong when it matters.
Will & succession
§§ 1937, 2303 BGBWho inherits, who is entitled to the Pflichtteil (compulsory share), and does a joint will bind the survivor? Without a clear arrangement, statutory succession applies - rarely exactly as you would want.
Lifetime provisions
§§ 1820, 1827 BGBVorsorgevollmacht, Patientenverfügung, Betreuungsverfügung: who decides when you no longer can? Without a power of attorney, the court appoints a guardian when it matters.
Assets & tax
§§ 16, 14 ErbStGFreibeträge (allowances), the 10-year cycle for tax-free gifts, current beneficiary designations and the transfer with reserved Nießbrauch (usufruct). Planning ahead here often saves six figures on death.
Business
§ 13a ErbStGFor business owners only: does the succession clause in the articles match the will, is the relief for business assets checked, and is access arranged for an emergency?
Statutory references per the current version, as of 2026 (German guardianship reform 2023 taken into account).
Frequent questions
Understand the estate check
How does the estate check work?
The check asks you 14 questions from four areas: will and succession, lifetime provisions, assets and tax, and - optionally - business. You answer each with Yes, Partly or No. The questions carry different weights: a missing will counts for more than a forgotten Betreuungsverfügung (care directive). From your answers the check calculates a readiness score from 0 to 100 and shows you the biggest gaps first.
What does my readiness score mean?
The score summarises how complete your estate planning is. From 80 points you are well prepared and only fine-tuning remains. Between 55 and 79 the foundation is in place, but individual gaps remain. Between 30 and 54 important building blocks are missing. Below 30 almost nothing is arranged and the law decides in an emergency. The score is a self-assessment for orientation, not an expert opinion.
Which documents belong to complete estate planning?
The basis consists of a will or Erbvertrag (§ 1937 BGB), a Vorsorgevollmacht (precautionary power of attorney, § 1820 BGB), a Patientenverfügung (advance healthcare directive, § 1827 BGB) and a Betreuungsverfügung (care directive, § 1814 BGB). Add up-to-date beneficiary designations for life insurance and accounts, an overview of the Freibeträge (allowances, § 16 ErbStG) and - for business owners - articles of association that match the will. Which building blocks take priority depends on your family, assets and business.
Are my answers stored or transmitted?
No. Your answers stay exclusively local in your browser (localStorage). No data is transmitted to any server, and no sign-up is required. If you reset the self-test or clear your browser storage, the answers are gone. This lets you answer openly and honestly without sensitive details leaving your device.
Does the check replace advice?
No. The estate check shows you where the biggest gaps lie and in which direction to think. The concrete arrangement - which will, which gifting strategy, which power of attorney in which form - belongs in a personal conversation. The check is the entry point that helps you go into the consultation prepared and with the right questions.
Prepare further
Turn the score into action
Emergency-kit checklist
If the check shows gaps in your provisions: here you tick off, step by step, which documents and access details must be ready in an emergency.
Open the checklistInheritance-tax calculator
If the check shows gaps in assets and tax: calculate the likely Erbschaftsteuer and see how much the Freibeträge and tax class make.
Open the calculatorScore in hand.
Now close the gaps.
A score shows where things hurt - the order in which you close the gaps decides the effort and the tax. In a free initial consultation we clarify which building blocks matter first in your situation.