TrustGuard Estate Planning Portal

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Vision

TrustGuard is a comprehensive estate planning portal that democratizes access to sophisticated estate planning documents through intelligent automation, plain-language guidance, and optional attorney oversight. The platform empowers individuals and families to create, manage, and maintain legally-compliant trusts, wills, power of attorney, and healthcare directives without the traditional barriers of cost, complexity, and legal jargon.

Core Value Proposition

TrustGuard transforms estate planning from an intimidating, expensive process requiring attorney hours into an accessible, guided experience with professional review available when needed. By offering free document creation with paid attorney review upgrades, the platform removes financial barriers while maintaining legal quality and state-specific compliance.

Product Overview

The MVP launches with trusts (Revocable Living Trust, Irrevocable Trust, Charitable Remainder Trust, and Grantor Retained Annuity Trust) and wills across the top 15 states by population. An adaptive questionnaire uses conditional logic to guide users through complex scenarios like blended families and business ownership, while a clause assembly engine generates legally-formatted PDFs. A curated network of 10-20 specialized estate planning attorneys provides optional review services, with automated matching based on document complexity.

2. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Primary Competitors

LegalZoom

• Positioning: Mass-market legal document provider with estate planning offerings
• Strengths: Brand recognition, comprehensive document library, attorney network
• Weaknesses: Limited free offering, less sophisticated questionnaire logic, one-size-fits-all approach
• TrustGuard Differentiation: Genuinely free core document creation, adaptive questionnaire with specialized flows for complex situations, modern technology stack

Trust & Will

• Positioning: Modern, consumer-friendly estate planning platform
• Strengths: Clean UX, straightforward pricing, good for simple estates
• Weaknesses: Limited trust type offerings, less depth for complex estates, no free tier
• TrustGuard Differentiation: Support for advanced trust types (CRT, GRAT) from day one, free core documents, comprehensive complex situation handling

Willing

• Positioning: Free will creation platform
• Strengths: Completely free for basic wills, simple user experience
• Weaknesses: Limited to wills, no trust offerings, minimal attorney involvement
• TrustGuard Differentiation: Comprehensive trust capabilities including advanced types, professional attorney review network, lifecycle document management

Traditional Estate Planning Attorneys

• Positioning: Full-service personalized legal counsel
• Strengths: Personalized advice, relationship continuity, handle any complexity
• Weaknesses: High cost ($2,000-$5,000+), intimidating for many users, time-consuming process
• TrustGuard Differentiation: Fraction of cost with attorney review option, immediate access, user maintains control while getting professional validation

Market Positioning

TrustGuard positions between DIY legal document services and traditional attorneys as the "sophisticated self-service with professional validation" option. The platform targets educated consumers who want control over their estate planning but recognize the value of professional oversight for complex situations. The freemium model with genuinely valuable free tier creates a wide top-of-funnel while the sophisticated trust offerings and attorney network enable conversion on high-value, complex estate situations.

3. USER PERSONAS

Primary Persona: Sarah Chen - High-Net-Worth Professional

• Age: 42
• Occupation: Software executive
• Location: San Francisco, CA
• Estate Value: $2.3M (primary residence, investment properties, stock options, retirement accounts)
• Family: Married with two children (ages 8 and 11)
• Pain Points: Knows she needs sophisticated estate planning but finds attorneys intimidating and expensive; wants control over decisions but lacks legal expertise; estate includes complexity (stock options, multiple properties) requiring advanced trust structures
• Goals: Protect children's inheritance, minimize estate taxes, maintain privacy through trusts, ensure business continuity if incapacitated
• TrustGuard Usage: Creates Revocable Living Trust and will through guided questionnaire, pays for attorney review given estate value and complexity, uses estate valuation calculators, relies on execution coordination service

Secondary Persona: Marcus and Jennifer Williams - Blended Family Planners

• Ages: 51 and 48
• Occupation: Small business owner and teacher
• Location: Charlotte, NC
• Estate Value: $650K (home, business assets, retirement accounts)
• Family: Marcus has two adult children from previous marriage, Jennifer has one teenage son, they have one child together
• Pain Points: Concerned about fairness among children from different marriages, need business succession planning, previous attorney quotes were $4,000+, worried about family conflict after they're gone
• Goals: Ensure business transfers properly, protect all children fairly, establish clear guardianship for minor children, avoid probate
• TrustGuard Usage: Uses specialized blended family questionnaire flow, creates separate trusts for business assets and personal estate, both spouses review and approve documents, pays for attorney review due to business complexity

Tertiary Persona: David Park - First-Time Estate Planner

• Age: 35
• Occupation: Marketing manager
• Location: Austin, TX
• Estate Value: $180K (condo, retirement accounts, savings)
• Family: Recently married, expecting first child
• Pain Points: Never thought about estate planning until expecting child, doesn't know where to start, concerned about costs, wants simple solution without attorney fees
• Goals: Basic protection for spouse and future child, designate guardians, ensure accounts transfer properly, create foundation for future planning
• TrustGuard Usage: Completes needs assessment quiz which recommends starting with will, uses completely free tier, downloads and executes documents without attorney review, plans to upgrade and add trust when estate grows

Quaternary Persona: Robert Thompson - Charitable Giving Advocate

• Age: 67
• Occupation: Retired physician
• Location: Boston, MA
• Estate Value: $4.2M (investment portfolio, vacation property, retirement assets)
• Family: Widowed, three adult children
• Pain Points: Wants to establish charitable legacy, needs tax-efficient giving strategy, children don't need full inheritance, wants to maintain income stream during retirement
• Goals: Create Charitable Remainder Trust for tax benefits and income, leave meaningful charitable legacy, provide for children without creating tax burden, reduce estate tax exposure
• TrustGuard Usage: Uses advanced CRT creation for charitable giving strategy, definitely pays for attorney review given complexity and estate value, uses estate tax calculators, coordinates with existing financial advisor via document sharing

4. CORE FEATURES (MVP)

Feature 1: Intelligent Needs Assessment

User Story: As a new user unfamiliar with estate planning, I need to understand which documents I actually need for my situation so I don't waste time creating unnecessary documents or miss critical protections.

Detailed Specification:

• Pre-questionnaire assessment quiz collecting: marital status (single/married/divorced/widowed), whether user has children and their ages, approximate estate value ranges ($0-100K, $100K-500K, $500K-1M, $1M-5M, $5M+), real estate ownership (primary residence only, investment properties, multi-state holdings), business ownership or partnership interests, family members with special needs, charitable giving intentions, state of residence
• Algorithm analyzes responses and generates prioritized document recommendations with plain-language rationale for each recommendation
• Example output: "Based on your $1.2M estate and California residency, we recommend: 1) Revocable Living Trust (HIGH PRIORITY - California probate is expensive and time-consuming), 2) Pour-Over Will (REQUIRED - works with your trust), 3) Healthcare Directive (RECOMMENDED - you indicated health concerns)"
• Users can accept recommendations and start immediately, or save recommendations and return later
• Recommendations stored and displayed on dashboard for future reference
• State selection happens before assessment since recommendations are state-specific

Feature 2: Adaptive Questionnaire Engine

User Story: As someone with a complex family situation including children from a previous marriage and a business, I need the questionnaire to ask relevant questions specific to my situation without overwhelming me with irrelevant options.

Detailed Specification:

• Conditional logic system that shows/hides question sections based on previous answers
• Specialized question flows triggered by specific situations:
  • Blended Family Flow: When user indicates children from previous relationships, triggers questions about: separate vs. combined trusts for different children, provisions for ex-spouse involvement, protections for current spouse vs. biological children, step-parent adoption considerations
  • Business Ownership Flow: When user indicates business ownership, triggers questions about: business structure and valuation, succession planning and key person designations, buy-sell agreement coordination, business vs. personal asset separation
  • Multi-State Property Flow: When user owns property in multiple states, shows warning: "Your properties in [State B] and [State C] may require separate estate planning in those states. This document will be based on [Primary State] law. We recommend consulting an attorney in each state where you own real property." Allows user to continue with primary state templates
  • Special Needs Planning Flow: When user designates beneficiary with special needs, automatically prompts for: special needs trust provisions, government benefit protection requirements, care coordinator designation
• Smart suggestions display contextual help based on selections: "Most California residents in your situation choose a Revocable Living Trust because California probate costs approximately 4-6% of estate value"
• Inline definitions for legal terms (hover or click to expand): "Pour-Over Will: A safety net that 'pours' any assets not already in your trust into the trust after your death"
• State-specific differences highlighted when relevant: "In California, married couples can use community property law to get a full step-up in basis. In New York, this advantage doesn't exist. Here's how this affects your situation..."
• Auto-save after every answer with visual confirmation ("Saved")
• Progress indicator showing completion percentage and estimated time remaining
• Ability to save and resume anytime - drafts preserved for 90 days

Feature 3: Dynamic Entity Management

User Story: As a user creating a trust, I need to easily add multiple beneficiaries, trustees, assets, and guardians without getting lost in complex forms, and I may need to add more items as I remember them during the questionnaire.

Detailed Specification:

• Dynamic "Add Another" buttons appear inline for all multi-item categories: beneficiaries, successor trustees, assets, real properties, guardians for minor children, executors
• Each added item expands into its own form section with remove button
• Beneficiary section includes: full legal name, relationship to user, SSN (optional, with mask display ****1234), percentage or specific amount designation, contingent beneficiary designation, special conditions or restrictions
• Asset section includes: asset type (real property, bank account, investment account, business interest, personal property), description/location, estimated value, how titled (individual, joint, trust)
• For minor children designation: automatic trigger of guardian designation questions, age-based distribution conditions (e.g., 1/3 at 25, 1/3 at 30, 1/3 at 35), educational trust provisions
• Real property section includes: property address, approximate value, how titled, whether primary residence, mortgage information (optional), whether in state different from primary residence (triggers warning)
• All sensitive data (SSNs, account numbers) encrypted at rest in database
• Option at document generation to include/exclude SSN in PDF output
• Account numbers not stored long-term - only descriptions maintained

Feature 4: Clause Assembly Engine

User Story: As the platform owner, I need a system that reliably converts questionnaire answers into legally-formatted, state-compliant documents without manual intervention, while allowing my legal team to maintain and update templates.

Detailed Specification:

• Database structure with three core tables:
  • Questions Table: question_id, question_text, question_type, conditional_logic_rules, state_variants, help_text
  • Clauses Table: clause_id, clause_text, required_conditions, optional_conditions, state_variants, trust_type_applicability, complexity_score
  • Question-Clause Mappings Table: mapping_id, question_id, answer_value, required_clause_ids, optional_clause_ids
• Direct mapping system: each specific answer directly maps to specific required or optional clauses
• Example mapping: Question "Will beneficiaries receive distributions immediately or at specific ages?" → Answer "Age-based milestones" → Required Clauses: [CLAUSE_AGE_DISTRIBUTION_FRAMEWORK, CLAUSE_TRUSTEE_DISCRETION_AGE], Optional Clauses: [CLAUSE_EDUCATIONAL_EXCEPTION, CLAUSE_HARDSHIP_DISTRIBUTION]
• State-specific clause variants automatically selected based on user's state selection
• Conflict resolution system: when user selections create conflicting requirements, system applies smart defaults based on pre-defined rules hierarchy and shows inline note during questionnaire: "Based on your selections, we've applied [Default Option] because [Reason]. You can adjust this in the next section."
• Assembly process: collect all required clauses from mappings → add applicable optional clauses based on user's specific answers → arrange in legally-appropriate order → apply state-specific language variants → insert user's specific data (names, dates, amounts) → generate formatted PDF
• Warning system validates completeness before assembly: required clauses missing triggers warning before document generation

Feature 5: Document Generation and Download

User Story: As a user who has completed the questionnaire, I need to receive a professionally-formatted legal document that I can print, sign, and execute according to my state's requirements.

Detailed Specification:

• Pre-generation validation checklist:
  • Required fields complete (beneficiaries, trustees, assets)
  • Percentage allocations sum to 100%
  • Successor designations present
  • State-specific requirements met
• Show warnings for potential issues but allow download anyway: "Warning: You haven't designated a successor trustee. If your primary trustee cannot serve, the court will appoint one. Download anyway?"
• PDF formatting specifications:
  • Standard legal document formatting with 1-inch margins
  • Numbered paragraphs (1.1, 1.2, etc.) for reference
  • Professional serif font (Times New Roman 12pt for body, 14pt for headings)
  • Pre-formatted signature blocks with lines for: Grantor/Testator signature and date, Witness 1 signature and printed name, Witness 2 signature and printed name (if required by state), Notary acknowledgment block with seal space
  • Page numbering footer: "Page X of Y - [Document Type] of [User Name]"
  • Header on each page: Document title and date of creation
  • State-specific formatting requirements where applicable (e.g., California self-proving affidavit format)
• Execution checklist appended as final pages:
  • State-specific signing requirements (number of witnesses, notary requirement, simultaneous signing)
  • Step-by-step instructions for execution
  • Self-proving affidavit language where applicable
  • Filing instructions if required (e.g., "California does not require filing of living trusts")
  • Post-execution steps (fund trust, notify relevant parties)
• Instant PDF generation and download
• Automatic storage in user's secure document vault
• Confirmation email with download link and next steps

Feature 6: State-Specific Compliance

User Story: As a user in Texas, I need to be confident that my document meets Texas-specific legal requirements and understand how Texas law differs from other states when making important decisions.

Detailed Specification:

• Launch states (top 15 by population): California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington, Arizona, Massachusetts
• State-specific implementation includes:
  • Execution Requirements: Witness requirements (0, 1, or 2 witnesses depending on state and document type), notary requirements (required, optional, or not applicable), self-proving affidavit availability and language, simultaneous signing requirements
  • Legal Provisions: Community property vs. common law property states, spousal elective share requirements, homestead protections and limitations, state estate tax thresholds and rules
  • Specific Clauses: State-required disclosures, disinheritance language requirements, trust protector provisions where applicable
  • Process Differences: Filing requirements for trusts or wills, ancillary probate considerations for out-of-state property
• In-questionnaire state-specific guidance: when users encounter decisions with different implications by state, show callout box: "In California: Community property rules mean your spouse automatically owns 50% of assets acquired during marriage. In New York: You can leave separate property however you choose, but your spouse has a statutory right to claim a portion of your estate."
• Execution instruction generation: system automatically generates state-specific execution checklist based on document type and state, including number of witnesses required, whether notary is required or optional, whether self-proving affidavit is available, any special requirements (e.g., Florida's two-witness requirement for wills, California's International Will provision)

Feature 7: Trust Type Support (MVP: 4 Types)

User Story: As a high-net-worth individual, I need access to sophisticated trust structures like Charitable Remainder Trusts or GRATs, not just basic revocable trusts, without paying attorney fees for initial document creation.

Detailed Specification:

• Revocable Living Trust:
  • Standard pour-over trust structure
  • Grantor maintains full control during lifetime
  • Amendment and restatement provisions
  • Incapacity management provisions
  • Distribution schedules (immediate, age-based, discretionary)
  • Asset funding instructions
• Irrevocable Trust:
  • Cannot be modified after creation (with limited exceptions)
  • Estate tax reduction benefits
  • Asset protection provisions
  • Separate trustee required (cannot be grantor)
  • Crummey powers for gift tax exclusion
  • Automatic attorney review recommendation due to irreversibility
• Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT):
  • CRUT (Unitrust) or CRAT (Annuity Trust) structure options
  • Payout rate configuration (minimum 5%, maximum 50%)
  • Term of years vs. life-based duration
  • Charitable beneficiary designation (must be qualified charity)
  • Income tax deduction calculations
  • IRS compliance provisions
  • Complexity triggers: automatically matched to specialist attorney, estate value threshold requirement ($1M+)
• Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT):
  • Term length selection (2-10 years typical)
  • Annuity payment calculation
  • Remainder beneficiary designation
  • 7520 rate application
  • Zeroed-out GRAT option
  • Gift tax return coordination guidance
  • Complexity triggers: automatically matched to specialist attorney, always requires specialist review
• Trust type selection driven by needs assessment or manual selection
• Each trust type has specialized questionnaire flow with type-specific questions
• Clear explanations of tax implications and use cases for each type

Feature 8: Will Creation

User Story: As someone with a simple estate who doesn't need a trust, I need to create a legally-valid will that designates my beneficiaries, executor, and guardians for my children.

Detailed Specification:

• Will questionnaire flow covering:
  • Executor designation (primary and successor)
  • Guardian designation for minor children
  • Beneficiary designations (specific bequests and residuary estate)
  • Disinheritance provisions if applicable
  • Funeral and burial preferences
  • Pet care provisions
  • Digital asset handling
• Pour-over will option: special will type that coordinates with trust, directs any assets not in trust to pour into trust at death, simplified structure since trust handles distribution details
• State-specific will requirements: witness requirements (varies by state), self-proving affidavit availability, holographic will recognition (some states), video will provisions (where applicable)
• Spousal protections: community property state automatic provisions, elective share warnings in common law states, homestead right notifications
• Output includes: formatted will document, execution instructions with witness requirements, self-proving affidavit where available, coordination instructions if user also has trust

Feature 9: Couple/Family Collaboration

User Story: As a married person creating joint estate planning documents, I need my spouse to review and approve our documents before we execute them, but I want to handle the questionnaire myself.

Detailed Specification:

• Linked individual accounts architecture:
  • Each person has their own login credentials
  • Primary user creates documents first
  • Primary user sends invitation to spouse via email
  • Spouse creates account (or links existing account) and reviews documents
  • Both spouses visible in each other's account with relationship indicator
• Joint document workflow:
  • Primary user completes full questionnaire for both spouses
  • Document marked as "Pending Spouse Review" after primary completion
  • Spouse receives email notification with review link
  • Spouse review interface: read-only document view, highlight key provisions (beneficiaries, trustees, distribution terms), approve/request changes options
  • If spouse requests changes: spouse can leave comments on specific sections, primary user receives notification, primary user makes changes through questionnaire, spouse re-reviews updated version
  • Document locked: cannot download until spouse approves
  • Once approved by spouse: both spouses can download, execution checklist shows both signatures required, version history tracks "Approved by [Spouse Name] on [Date]"
• Individual documents within family: each spouse can create individual documents, visible to partner but no approval required, marked as "Individual" vs. "Joint"
• Family dashboard view: shows all documents across both spouses, filter by family member, joint document status clearly indicated

Feature 10: Secure Document Storage

User Story: As someone who has created multiple estate planning documents over the years, I need to securely store all versions, easily find what I need, and access them from anywhere.

Detailed Specification:

• Storage architecture:
  • All generated documents automatically stored upon creation
  • Uploaded existing documents stored after user upload
  • Files stored in AWS S3 or Google Cloud Storage with encryption at rest
  • Per-file limit: 25MB maximum
  • Total storage: 5GB for free tier users, unlimited for paid tier users
• Organization structure:
  • By Document Type: Separate sections for Trusts, Wills, Uploaded Documents, Archived Documents
  • By Family Member: John's Documents, Jane's Documents, Joint Documents
  • By Status: Active (current version), Superseded (old version), In Attorney Review, Draft (incomplete questionnaire)
• Search functionality:
  • Full-text search within document contents (PDFs indexed)
  • Filter by document type, status, date range, family member
  • Search results show document type, creation date, status, and text snippet of match
• Document actions:
  • Download PDF
  • Share via secure link (see Feature 11)
  • Send to attorney review
  • Create new version (for updates)
  • Delete (requires confirmation, soft delete with 30-day recovery)
• Version management:
  • All versions always accessible
  • When new version created, old version automatically marked "SUPERSEDED"
  • Superseded versions show watermark in PDF
  • Version history shows: creation date, modified date, version number, "What changed" summary
  • Diff view: side-by-side comparison highlighting changes between versions

Feature 11: Secure Document Sharing

User Story: As someone who needs to share my estate planning documents with my financial advisor and adult children, I need a secure way to give them access without emailing PDFs or losing control over who has access.

Detailed Specification:

• Secure share link generation:
  • User selects document(s) to share
  • System generates unique, non-guessable URL
  • Optional settings: expiration date (options: 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, never), password protection, download allowed (yes/no)
  • Recipient name/email for tracking (optional)
• Recipient experience:
  • Receives link via email or manual sharing
  • Clicks link to view document in browser
  • If password protected, prompted for password
  • View-only interface with download button if enabled
  • No account creation required
• Access tracking:
  • User sees "Shared Links" section in document view
  • For each link: shows creation date, expiration date, recipient name (if provided), access status: "Not yet accessed" or "Last accessed on [Date] at [Time]", number of times accessed
  • User can revoke link at any time (immediate effect)
• Automatic expiration: system checks daily for expired links and deactivates them, user notified when link expires if set to auto-notify

Feature 12: Attorney Review Network

User Story: As someone who has created a $2M trust through the platform, I want a qualified estate planning attorney to review my document and confirm it's appropriate for my situation before I execute it.

Detailed Specification:

• Attorney network structure:
  • Launch with 10-20 carefully vetted attorneys
  • Coverage across all 15 launch states
  • Mix of specialists: general estate planning, high-net-worth/complex estates, business succession planning, special needs planning, blended family specialists
• Attorney matching algorithm:
  • Complexity triggers requiring specialist: Estate value over $1M, Irrevocable trusts (all instances), CRT or GRAT trust types, Business ownership indicated in questionnaire, Special needs beneficiaries designated
  • State matching: Attorney must be licensed in user's state
  • Specialization matching: Business succession specialist for business owners, Special needs specialist for special needs beneficiaries, High-net-worth specialist for estates over $1M, Blended family experience for complex family structures