Professional next of kin — just for Childfree people
Professional
— just for Childfree people.
The first-ever comprehensive solution to complete your estate documents
and protect your wishes 24/7 — for $999/year.
Being Childfree shouldn’t mean going it alone.
Even with close friends and chosen family around, choosing someone to make decisions on your behalf when you’re Childfree can be challenging.
Who can you rely on to…
- Get the 3 a.m. call from the ER?
- Handle your daily tasks when you can’t?
- Make sure your will is executed faithfully?
If these questions keep you up at night, rest easy: You can rely on us.
We’re Childfree Trust®.
Childfree Trust® is the first service built to provide medical and financial power of attorney, executor, and trustee representation for Childfree and Permanently Childless people in all 50 states.
If you don’t know who to name as next of kin in your estate documents — or aren’t sure your first picks will be up for it — put us down. We’ll step in to ensure your wishes are followed.
As seen in
Protect what matters most to you.
Traditional estate planning wasn’t built for Childfree people. Most estate forms assume you have kids, and every plan feels like it was designed for someone else’s life.
Childfree Trust® was built for your life — and it goes way beyond what you write on your estate documents.
As your independent, professional, and fiduciary team, we’ll protect your wishes as you’ve written them — from your care wishes to the charities you support to caring for your four-legged friends in an emergency.
We help you…
Get protected
Finish your documents in our patented Childfree Trust® system and join as a paid member for instant legal protection with us as your medical or financial POA, trustee, and executor.
Detail your wishes
With just a few clicks, create unlimited “care documents” to specify around your wishes, from your allergies and medications to what kibble brand your kitty eats.
Get emergency support 24/7
One number connects you to our partner trust company, who will send your medical directives to the hospital and start the activation process.
Here’s how it works.
Complete your legal documents
Activate your membership to lock in protection with us as your next of kin.
Keep us up to date
Update your care documents (we’ll send reminders!) so they reflect your current wishes.
Call in an emergency
Keep our number handy so loved ones and emergency personnel know who to contact.
Enjoy your Childfree life
Replace old worries with new experiences now that your estate plan is handled.
Frequently asked questions
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What exactly is a trust? Why do I need it?
There are three terms you need to know:
Trust: A trust is created to manage your affairs. You complete a document that creates a trust, which is like a company, to manage your affairs.
Trusts are initially revocable, meaning you can change them at any time. Once you die they become irrevocable, meaning they can’t be changed.
Your trust names someone as trustee to manage the trust.
Trustee: When you write up your trust, you appoint someone as the trustee. While you are living, that’s you. When you are incapacitated or pass away, the next in line becomes the trustee.
Your trustee is a fiduciary and must keep your best interests at heart. When you appoint a trustee at a trust company you are appointing a professional — usually a lawyer or financial professional — to act in that role.
Trust company: A trust company is effectively a bank that does not take deposits. Trust companies are regulated by the state or federal banking regulators.
They need to meet a high standard and ensure they will deliver exactly what they promise. For example, they have to keep a large cash reserve at all times, just in case they have issues. If a trust company “goes under,” the banking regulators have a responsibility to step in.
Who do I contact in a medical emergency?
Keep your membership card on hand at all times. We also encourage you to update your phone’s “In Case of Emergency” contact information in your phone (in your Health App if you have an iPhone!) with our emergency number.
If there’s a medical emergency and you can’t communicate your wishes, emergency personnel should call the number listed on your membership card.
We’ll verify your identity and membership then fax or email all the necessary medical documents and wishes over to your hospital to ensure your wishes are followed.
What if I have a medical need that’s not an emergency? Who do I call?
You can voluntarily opt to have our trust partner act on your behalf. Most people want to maintain medical control as long as they can, but it is up to you.
For example, you might want us to step in when you go into long-term care. In that case, we offer a non-emergency number to call and make a plan.
In all other cases, please call your doctor or dial 911.
How do power of attorney (POA) and trustee representation work?
There are two paths: voluntary and involuntary.
Voluntary: You can “turn on” power of attorney any time and have our partner trust company act in that role.
For example, you could activate financial POA if you’re planning to travel internationally for a year and don’t want to worry about keeping your bills paid.
Involuntary: If you’re temporarily unconscious and can’t make decisions, the hospital notifies us and we step in until you’re awake and aware again.
If you’re in cognitive decline, two medical professionals — most likely your primary care doctor and a physician appointed by our partner trust company — must deem you unfit to place you into involuntary conservatorship/guardianship.
Power of attorney (POA) is intended to be used for a limited period of time (less than 6 months).
If you’re incapacitated longer than 6 months, your assets will be moved into trust and managed there.
Do I have to list Childfree Trust® as my next of kin everywhere?
We get it — being Childfree doesn’t mean you don’t have a support system! We don’t have to be your first choice, but we should be your last choice.
List close friends, relatives, and chosen family first as your primary next of kin if you like.
Think of us as your guaranteed fallback: If they can’t step in to help in an emergency, we’ll be waiting. (In short: We’ll always be there to protect you in the end.)
Is Childfree Trust® available in my state?
Yes! Childfree Trust® is available in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.
We have created estate documents for each state that reflect each state’s laws.
All of our trusts have an “Alabama Situs: Our partner trust company is in Alabama, our trusts are designed to follow Alabama’s laws. This allows us to serve people across the country.
How will you know if estate requirements change in my state?
We have a network of attorneys in each state who keep tabs on estate requirements and ensure we have the correct documents for their state. We’ll ensure you know if updates are needed.
What authority does the trust company have to manage my assets while I am alive?
Our partner trust company has no power to manage your investments while you are alive and competent.
If you become incapacitated and your financial power of attorney is activated, the trust company has the power to manage your cash and pay bills on your behalf. Your investments will be transferred into the trust after you’ve been incapacitated for six months or if it’s determined you have a long-term disability.
At that point, the trust company will manage your investments to ensure they meet the goals of your care.
Can I designate another trust company as my first-choice trustee?
Yes. Our partner trust company will act only when all other primary choices have been exhausted.
What happens to my assets when I die?
If our partner trust company is listed as your trustee when you die, they will transfer your assets to their custodian (Fidelity) and distribute them according to the wishes laid out in your will.
What kind of trust does Childfree Trust create?
The trust is a revocable trust that can be made irrevocable while you’re alive or after you die.
Want to know more? Find more answers on our general FAQ, or email us at questions@childfreetrust.com.