Frequently Asked Questions.

Steward is a guided, self-directed platform for completing attorney-built, state-specific estate planning documents online. Attorneys designed the legal framework and state-specific language. Steward walks you through a simple, step-by-step process so you can complete your own Estate Plan based on your family, your wishes, and your state's laws.

We are not here to overwhelm you with legal jargon or upsell you into products you don't need. Our goal is simple: help individuals and families finally get this done.

Estate planning is not just about money. It's about making sure the people you love aren't left guessing if something happens to you.

Steward is built for individuals, married couples, and families who want a guided, affordable way to complete core estate planning documents online. It's especially valuable for young families, first-time parents, married couples, individuals building their lives, and people who know they need to get this done but have been putting it off because the process felt intimidating or expensive.

You do not need to be wealthy to need estate planning documents. In fact, for most families, estate planning is just as much about protecting your children, making healthcare decisions, planning for incapacity, and reducing confusion for the people you love as it is about assets.

If you pass away without a Will, your state already has a plan for your estate. The question is whether that plan matches your wishes.

No. Steward is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal representation. Steward is a software platform that helps users complete their own attorney-built, state-specific estate planning documents through a guided online process.

We can explain how the platform works, help you understand what a document generally does, answer technical questions, and guide you through the process itself. We cannot tell you what legal decisions to make, recommend legal strategies, advise who you should choose as a Guardian, Executor, or Agent, interpret laws for your specific situation, or provide legal representation.

If you need legal advice specific to your family, assets, or situation, please speak with a licensed estate planning attorney in your state.

No. Steward allows you to complete your own estate planning documents online through an intentionally designed, question-by-question process. We do not provide legal advice, tax advice, or financial advice.

Think of it this way: attorneys created the legal structure and state-specific framework for the documents. Steward then walks you through completing your own documents based on the information and decisions you provide. We can explain how the process works, what documents generally do, what information is being requested, and what steps are required. We cannot tell you what decisions to make, recommend legal strategies, or advise what is best for your specific situation.

Estate planning decisions are deeply personal and sometimes legally complex. If you are unsure what is right for your situation, we strongly encourage you to work with an estate planning attorney.

Steward works well for many common estate planning situations, but some situations deserve individualized legal guidance. You should strongly consider working with an attorney if you own a business, own property in multiple states, have a blended family, have significant tax concerns, expect family conflict, have a special needs child or beneficiary, are trying to protect assets from lawsuits or creditors, are involved in litigation, have international assets or beneficiaries, need Medicaid or long-term care planning, or believe you may need a Living Trust.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with needing an attorney. In fact, we believe most people eventually should work with one as their life, family, and financial circumstances become more complex. We see Steward as the starting point for families who are building, and we believe most people will eventually benefit from personalized legal guidance as their needs grow. Steward exists to help you take that important first step.

Because we believe Living Trusts are too important to reduce to a generic online checkout flow.

Could Steward offer online Living Trusts? Absolutely. We choose not to.

A properly designed and funded Living Trust can be an incredible tool in the right situation. But most online services oversimplify trust planning and make it sound like probate is a catastrophic four-letter word that everyone must avoid at all costs. That simply is not true.

Trust planning can involve asset protection considerations, tax planning, multi-state property, business ownership, beneficiary coordination, trust funding, and long-term maintenance. If a Trust is appropriate for your situation, you deserve actual legal guidance from an attorney who can help you understand all of your options. A poorly designed or improperly funded Trust can create serious problems later.

Steward focuses on helping individuals and families complete core Will-based estate planning documents through a guided process. If your situation truly requires a Trust, do not cheap out on something that important. Work with an attorney.

At launch, Steward packages include:

• Last Will & Testament — identifies who receives your assets, names your Executor, names Guardians for minor children, and includes Testamentary Trust provisions for minor children
• Advance Directive — includes your Living Will, Healthcare Power of Attorney, and HIPAA Release, communicating your healthcare wishes and identifying who can make medical decisions on your behalf if necessary
• Durable Financial Power of Attorney — identifies someone you trust to handle certain financial matters on your behalf if needed

Steward will continue expanding features and tools over time, including future family organization and planning tools.

Steward supports all 50 states plus Washington D.C. Because estate planning laws vary significantly from state to state, Steward uses attorney-built, state-specific document structures designed to align with your state's laws.

Steward keeps pricing simple.

• Individual Package — $199. One complete Estate Plan for one individual.
• Married Package — $299. Two separate Estate Plans, one for each spouse.
• Individual to Married Upgrade — $99. If you start with an Individual Package and later want to add your spouse, contact customer support at Support@withsteward.com to complete the upgrade.

No subscriptions. No confusing pricing tiers. No aggressive upsells.

A Married Package is not a Joint Will. Each spouse receives their own individual estate planning documents.

Yes. If you originally purchased an Individual Package and later decide to create documents for your spouse, you can upgrade to a Married Package for $99. To get started, contact customer support at Support@withsteward.com and our team will walk you through the process.

No. Steward does not create Joint Wills. Each spouse receives their own individual estate planning documents, which is the standard and preferred structure for most married couples. While spouses often make similar decisions together, each person's Will, Advance Directive, Healthcare instructions, and Financial Power of Attorney remain legally individual documents. The shared login simply provides easier account management.

Steward provides a guided platform for completing your own attorney-built, state-specific estate planning documents online. The process:

• Create your account
• Choose the appropriate package
• Complete the guided online questionnaire
• Review your documents during the audit process
• Download and print your documents
• Sign and notarize according to your state's instructions
• Store originals somewhere safe and make sure your chosen Representatives and Agents know where to find them
• Upload your completed notarized documents back into your dashboard
• Choose who you would like to share them with

Steward is intentionally designed to walk you through the process step by step so you can complete your own Estate Plan with clarity and confidence.

That depends on you. If you already know who you want as Guardians, who you want handling financial or healthcare decisions, who should receive your assets, and you have their contact information handy, you can move through the process fairly quickly. For others, estate planning involves important decisions that deserve more thought. Steward is built so you can move at your own pace and come back whenever you're ready.

This is not a race. The important thing is finally getting it done.

Not at all. Steward automatically saves your progress as you move through the process, so you can stop and come back whenever needed. Many people prefer to think through decisions over time, talk with their spouse, discuss Guardianship choices, or gather information before finalizing their documents. That is completely normal.

You do not need to have your entire life perfectly organized before getting started. However, it helps to begin thinking about your spouse and children, who you want serving as Guardians, who you trust to make healthcare decisions, who you trust to handle financial matters, who should receive your assets, and basic contact information for those individuals — including addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. You can always come back and update information before finalizing your Estate Plan.

Yes. Before downloading your documents, Steward walks you through an audit and review process where you can see how your answers fit directly into your Estate Planning Documents. This lets you review your information, confirm names and details, verify your decisions, and make any edits before downloading. We strongly encourage every customer to review their documents carefully before downloading and signing.

Once you complete the process and approve your documents, you can download and print them directly from your Steward dashboard. From there, carefully review your printed documents, sign them according to your state's requirements, complete any required notarization and witnessing, and store them somewhere safe and accessible.

Your documents are not legally effective simply because they were generated online. They must be properly executed according to your state's laws.

After downloading, you have a 60-day grace period to continue making edits and regenerating documents before your annual free update cycle begins. This gives you time to review carefully, discuss decisions with your spouse or loved ones, make any final corrections before signing, and ensure documents are properly executed.

After your signing and notarization are complete, store your finalized documents somewhere safe and upload signed copies back into your Steward dashboard so you can securely share them with your chosen Representatives, Agents, and loved ones when needed.

After that 60-day period, your account moves into the standard Free Updates for Life structure outlined in our Terms of Service.

Your Estate Planning Documents must be properly signed according to your state's legal requirements. Depending on your state and document type, this may involve witnesses, notarization, or additional signing requirements. Steward provides signing instructions with your downloaded documents to help guide you through the process.

Steward does not currently provide electronic signing or Remote Online Notarization services directly through the platform.

Mistakes happen. That is exactly why Steward includes the audit process before download, a 60-day post-download revision window, and Free Updates for Life after that. If you notice an issue before notarizing your documents, simply log back in, make the necessary changes, and regenerate your documents. If you have already notarized and later update your Estate Plan, we strongly encourage you to destroy all previous signed and notarized versions to avoid conflicting documents.

Absolutely. Life changes, and your Estate Plan should too. Common reasons people update include marriage, divorce, children, changes in relationships, moving to another state, changes in assets, or simply changing their mind. Steward allows customers to continue updating through our Free Updates for Life structure.

A solid rule of thumb: review anytime your life changes significantly. That may include marriage, divorce, children, deaths in the family, major financial changes, moving, or changing relationships with the people named in your documents. Even without major changes, reviewing annually is wise to confirm everything still reflects your wishes.

When you complete and generate a new version of your Estate Planning Documents, the previous version stored within Steward is permanently removed and replaced by the newest version. Steward does not keep version histories or archives of previous documents. Once you update your Estate Plan, destroy all prior signed and notarized versions immediately to avoid confusion, conflicting documents, and potential complications later.

Because outdated estate planning documents create confusion, conflict, and unnecessary legal issues. Steward intentionally stores only the current version of your Estate Planning Documents to reduce the risk of conflicting instructions and uncertainty for your loved ones. Once a new version is completed, the prior version is permanently removed from the platform.

Yes. And we mean that seriously.

An outdated signed Will sitting in a drawer is not harmless. In some states it can be presented to a court, create a contested probate proceeding, and force your family to spend time and money arguing over which version of your wishes was the real one. That is a nightmare nobody should leave behind.

Once your updated documents are fully signed and notarized, destroy all prior versions completely. Shred them. Do not just throw them away. Then make sure the people who need to know about the new documents actually know about them.

Steward keeps login intentionally simple. Enter your email address, receive a One-Time Passcode (OTP) by email, and enter the code to securely log in. There are no passwords to remember or manage. If you have access to your email address, you have access to your Steward account.

Security and simplicity. Estate planning documents contain deeply personal information, and Steward is designed to keep account access straightforward and secure without requiring traditional passwords. Your email account effectively becomes the key to your Steward account, which is why maintaining secure access to your email address matters.

Contact customer support at Support@withsteward.com. Our team can assist with account recovery and email updates after verifying ownership information. Because Steward uses email-based authentication, maintaining access to your email account is essential.

Yes. You can update the email address associated with your account. If you cannot access your current email address, contact support for assistance with the recovery and transition process.

Yes. Married couples can manage both spouse Estate Plans under a single login while still maintaining separate individual documents and dashboards for each spouse. After logging in, users with a Married Package choose which spouse's Estate Plan they would like to access.

The Married Package includes two separate Estate Plans, one for each spouse. Each spouse maintains separate documents, separate decisions, separate uploads, and separate sharing permissions. Both spouse dashboards are accessible through one shared login and email address for convenience.

If you originally purchased an Individual Package, you can upgrade to a Married Package for $99 by contacting customer support at Support@withsteward.com. Our team will guide you through the process and get both spouse dashboards set up under your shared login.

Yes. Both spouses can access and work on their individual Estate Plans simultaneously from different devices.

No. Steward does not create Joint Wills. Even within a Married Package, each spouse maintains separate legal documents, separate decisions, and a separate Estate Plan. The shared login simply provides easier account management.

Either spouse can contact customer support to request account separation. The spouse requesting separation can create a new login with a new email address, maintain access to their own Estate Planning Documents, and continue using Steward independently. Steward does not provide legal advice related to divorce, document validity during divorce proceedings, or post-divorce planning decisions.

Possibly, but divorce laws vary significantly by state. If you are currently going through a divorce, separation, or active legal proceeding, speak with a licensed attorney before making updates to your Estate Planning Documents. Steward cannot advise you on what changes may or may not be legally appropriate during divorce proceedings.

Yes. Contact customer support at Support@withsteward.com to close your account. Please note that closing your Steward account may permanently remove access to documents stored within your dashboard. We strongly encourage you to securely store finalized signed and notarized Estate Planning Documents outside the platform as well.

At launch, Steward customer support is available by email only. Reach us at Support@withsteward.com. As Steward grows, additional support tools may become available.

Your Will documents who should receive your assets, who should manage your estate, who should care for your minor children, and other important wishes. It may also include Testamentary Trust provisions for minor children depending on your family situation and state requirements. A Will does not avoid probate entirely, but it allows you, rather than the state, to direct how your estate should be handled.

One important thing to understand: your Will only controls assets that pass through the probate process. Assets with beneficiary designations, joint ownership, or other transfer mechanisms often pass entirely outside your Will. This is exactly why estate planning is bigger than just one document, and why reviewing all of it together matters.

A Testamentary Trust is a trust created through your Will that becomes effective after death. Within Steward, Testamentary Trust provisions are primarily designed to provide structure for how assets intended for minor children may be managed if both parents pass away.

One important distinction worth understanding: because a Testamentary Trust is embedded in your Will, it still goes through the probate process before it takes effect. This is different from a standalone Revocable Living Trust, which is designed to bypass probate entirely. For most families with minor children, Testamentary Trust provisions are a practical, appropriate tool. For families with more complex situations, an attorney can help you determine whether something more is needed.

An Advance Directive communicates your healthcare wishes and identifies who should make medical decisions on your behalf if you become unable to communicate for yourself. Within Steward, your Advance Directive includes Living Will language, Healthcare Power of Attorney language, and HIPAA Release authorization. Some states use different terminology, but the purpose is generally the same.

A Living Will communicates certain wishes regarding medical treatment and end-of-life care if you become unable to communicate your decisions personally. Exact language and requirements vary by state.

A Healthcare Power of Attorney allows you to identify someone you trust to make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you become unable to make those decisions yourself. This person is sometimes referred to as your Healthcare Agent, Healthcare Representative, or similar terminology depending on your state.

A HIPAA Release authorizes certain individuals to access protected medical information when appropriate. Without proper authorization, loved ones are sometimes prevented from accessing important medical information due to privacy laws.

A Durable Financial Power of Attorney identifies someone you trust to handle certain financial matters on your behalf if necessary. Depending on your state and document language, this may include banking matters, property matters, financial transactions, and other financial responsibilities.

The word "Durable" is doing critical legal work here. A standard Power of Attorney typically terminates if you become incapacitated. A Durable Power of Attorney survives incapacity, which is exactly when your family needs someone who can step in and act. Without it, a loved one may have to go to court to obtain authority to manage your affairs during a medical crisis. The powers granted can be significant, which is why choosing this person carefully matters enormously.

Your Executor (sometimes called a Personal Representative depending on your state) is the person responsible for helping carry out the instructions in your Will after death. Responsibilities may include working with the probate process, helping manage estate assets, paying valid debts, and helping distribute assets according to your Will.

An Agent is someone you authorize to act on your behalf under certain legal documents. Within estate planning, Agents are commonly named in Healthcare Power of Attorney documents and Financial Power of Attorney documents. These individuals may have important authority depending on the circumstances and document language.

Absolutely. Some people choose one person for everything, while others prefer different people for different responsibilities. For example, someone may choose one person as Guardian, another as Executor, and another as Healthcare Agent. Steward cannot tell you what is best for your situation, but the platform allows flexibility depending on your preferences.

Yes. Legally, pets are generally treated as personal property rather than children under the law. Because of that, care instructions for pets are typically handled through a Personal Property Memorandum rather than directly inside a Last Will & Testament. Your Personal Property Memorandum can communicate who you would want caring for your pets and how you would generally want those responsibilities handled.

Estate planning is not just for wealthy people. Many younger families create Estate Planning Documents primarily because of children, Guardianship, healthcare decisions, incapacity planning, and reducing confusion for loved ones. Even without substantial assets, Estate Planning Documents can be incredibly important.

Absolutely. Even if you are single, do not have children, or do not own substantial assets, Estate Planning Documents address healthcare decisions, financial decision-making, incapacity situations, and who should handle matters on your behalf if something happens unexpectedly. Estate planning is not only about death. It is about protecting yourself and your loved ones during life.

Probate is the legal process through which a deceased person's estate is administered. Depending on the situation, probate may involve validating a Will, identifying assets, paying valid debts, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.

Probate is not automatically bad or catastrophic, despite what many online advertisements suggest. In some situations it may be relatively straightforward. In others, it can become more complicated depending on family conflict, asset complexity, state laws, and estate structure.

Not always. Retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and some financial accounts often pass according to beneficiary designations rather than your Will. Because beneficiary and tax decisions can have important legal and financial consequences, Steward strongly encourages you to speak with qualified financial, tax, or legal professionals regarding beneficiary planning questions.

A Guardian is the person you choose to care for your minor children if something were to happen to you. For many parents, this is one of the most emotional and important decisions in the entire estate planning process. Naming a Guardian allows you to communicate who you trust to care for your children, who shares your values, and who you believe would provide stability and love if you were no longer able to. While courts ultimately make final decisions based on applicable law and the best interests of the child, naming Guardians provides critical guidance about your wishes.

Absolutely. Steward requires that you name at least one backup Guardian in the event something happens to your primary choice. Life changes, people move, and circumstances evolve. Naming backup Guardians provides additional clarity and protection if your first choice is unable or unwilling to serve when needed.

Yes. Many parents choose a married couple to serve together as Guardians for their children, and Steward's process allows you to identify both individuals when appropriate.

If parents pass away without naming Guardians for minor children, a court decides who cares for those children. And that process is not quiet or automatic. It can become a contested proceeding, meaning family members may end up in court disagreeing over who should raise your kids, which is expensive, emotionally devastating, and can take significant time to resolve.

Naming Guardians does not guarantee a specific court outcome, but it gives the court clear, documented evidence of your wishes. That matters. Do not leave this one blank.

Every family is different, but most people consider shared values, parenting style, relationship with the child, emotional stability, financial stability, location, age and health, and genuine willingness to serve. There is no perfect answer. The most important thing is thoughtfully choosing the people you trust most to care for your children if something unexpected happens.

Yes. Please do not skip this step.

While naming someone in your Estate Plan does not automatically obligate them legally, the people you are naming deserve to know. They deserve the chance to say yes with full understanding of what that means, or to have an honest conversation with you about whether they are the right fit. Finding out someone named you Guardian to their three children after they are gone is not a gift. It is a shock.

These conversations can feel uncomfortable. We know. But the families who have them are the ones who have actually finished the process well. Have the conversation before you sign.

Your Executor (sometimes called a Personal Representative depending on your state) is the person responsible for helping carry out the instructions in your Will after death. Responsibilities may include helping navigate probate, identifying and organizing assets, paying valid debts, communicating with beneficiaries, and helping distribute assets according to your Will. This role involves significant responsibility. Choose someone trustworthy, organized, and capable.

Most people choose someone who is responsible, organized, trustworthy, calm under pressure, and capable of handling financial and administrative tasks. This might be a spouse, sibling, parent, close friend, adult child, or trusted professional. There is no requirement that your Executor live in the same state, though that can sometimes simplify logistics depending on the situation.

An Agent is someone you authorize to act on your behalf under certain legal documents. Within Steward, Agents are commonly named in Healthcare Power of Attorney documents and Durable Financial Power of Attorney documents. Depending on the document and circumstances, an Agent may have authority to make healthcare decisions, financial decisions, or other authorized decisions on your behalf.

Yes. Some people choose one trusted person for multiple responsibilities, while others prefer dividing responsibilities across different individuals. For example, one person may serve as Guardian, another as Executor, and another as Healthcare Agent. Steward allows flexibility depending on your preferences and circumstances.

Yes. Steward allows you to identify backup or successor Agents in case your primary choice is unable or unwilling to serve.

If you do not name important roles like Guardians, Executors, or Agents, a court may ultimately need to appoint individuals under your state's laws. That does not automatically mean the wrong person will be chosen, but it does mean your wishes may not be clearly documented ahead of time. Estate planning is ultimately about reducing confusion and providing guidance for the people you love.

No. Steward can explain what these roles generally involve and how the process works, but cannot recommend specific people, tell you who is best, or provide legal advice regarding your decisions. Those choices are deeply personal and depend entirely on your family, relationships, and circumstances.

Blended family situations can create additional estate planning complexity depending on children from prior relationships, remarriage, asset ownership, beneficiary decisions, and long-term family dynamics. Steward can work for many blended families completing foundational Estate Planning Documents, but some situations benefit from individualized legal guidance from an estate planning attorney. If your family structure is particularly complex or you anticipate potential conflict, working directly with an attorney is the wisest path.

Absolutely. Life changes, relationships evolve, and your Estate Plan should evolve too. Common reasons people update these roles include marriage, divorce, children, deaths in the family, relocation, changing relationships, or simply changing their mind over time. Steward allows customers to continue updating through our Free Updates for Life structure.

No. Your Estate Planning Documents are not legally effective simply because they were generated online or downloaded from your dashboard. To become legally effective, your documents must be properly signed, witnessed, and/or notarized according to your state's laws and requirements. Steward provides state-specific signing instructions to help guide you through the process.

Possibly. Many Estate Planning Documents require witnesses, but the exact rules vary significantly by state, document type, and execution requirements. For example, Wills often require witnesses, some Power of Attorney documents may require notarization, and certain Healthcare documents have separate signing rules. Your Steward signing instructions will explain what is required for your specific state and documents.

Possibly. Some Estate Planning Documents require notarization while others may not, depending on your state's laws. Steward provides signing instructions with your downloaded documents to help you understand which documents require notarization, which may require witnesses, and what steps are necessary for proper execution. Because laws vary from state to state, carefully following your state-specific instructions is critical.

No. At launch, Steward does not provide electronic signing, electronic Wills, or built-in Remote Online Notarization services through the platform. Customers are responsible for printing documents, properly signing them, completing any required witnessing or notarization, and following their state's legal requirements for execution.

That depends on your state. Some states have adopted laws allowing certain forms of electronic Wills, electronic signatures, or Remote Online Notarization for certain Estate Planning Documents. These laws vary significantly and continue evolving rapidly.

Our clear default recommendation: unless you have confirmed your state's current electronic execution laws with a licensed attorney, print your documents and sign them the traditional way. The cost of printing is minimal. The cost of an improperly executed document can be enormous. When in doubt, go old school.

Not directly through the platform at launch. While some states permit Remote Online Notarization for certain Estate Planning Documents, Steward does not currently provide built-in RON services. Customers are responsible for properly executing their documents according to their state's laws. As adoption of RON laws continues evolving, Steward may evaluate future integration opportunities.

In some situations, customers may choose to use third-party online notarization providers where legally permitted. One provider Steward may reference in signing instructions is SecureNotarizations.com. However, Steward is not affiliated with this provider as a law firm, does not guarantee availability or legality in your state, and customers remain fully responsible for ensuring their documents are properly executed according to applicable law.

Many people complete notarization through local banks, UPS Stores, shipping centers, attorneys, local notaries, or mobile notary services. Availability and requirements vary by state and location.

If your Estate Planning Documents were not properly executed according to your state's requirements, you may need to re-sign documents, re-notarize, or complete additional witnessing requirements. Steward can help explain the general signing process, but cannot provide legal advice regarding document validity, defective execution, or legal consequences. If you are unsure whether your documents were properly executed, speak with a licensed attorney in your state.

No. Steward does not print, mail, or physically ship Estate Planning Documents. Customers are responsible for downloading, printing, signing, notarizing, and securely storing their own documents.

Your signed and notarized Estate Planning Documents should be stored somewhere safe, secure, and accessible to the people you trust. Many people choose a fireproof safe or similar secure home storage. It is also critical that the people named in your Estate Plan know where your documents are located, how to access them, and any instructions necessary to retrieve them. Estate Planning Documents cannot help your loved ones if nobody can find them.

Yes, and we strongly encourage it. Uploading your finalized signed and notarized documents back into your Steward dashboard allows you to organize your completed Estate Plan, securely share documents with the people named in your plan, and help ensure your chosen individuals have access when needed.

Steward only stores the current uploaded version of your Estate Planning Documents. If you later upload updated documents, the previously uploaded versions are permanently removed and replaced.

Your Steward dashboard is the central hub for completing your Estate Planning Documents, reviewing your information, uploading finalized signed documents, managing sharing, and accessing your account tools. At launch, the dashboard includes Home, Estate Planning, Sharing, Assets, Support, and Account. Additional features will continue to be added as Steward grows.

The Sharing section allows you to securely share finalized signed and notarized Estate Planning Documents with the people named in your Estate Plan. This may include Executors, Healthcare Agents, Guardians, family members, financial advisors, or other trusted individuals. Sharing is completely in your control.

Never. After uploading finalized signed and notarized documents into the appropriate section of your dashboard, you choose who receives access, what documents are shared, and when invitations are sent. Steward only sends invitation emails on your behalf after you manually choose to share documents.

You may share documents with the people named in your Estate Plan, trusted family members, financial advisors, attorneys, or other individuals you authorize. Sharing is entirely optional and controlled by the account owner.

Documents should only be shared after they are finalized, properly signed, notarized if required, and uploaded back into your Steward dashboard. Unsigned drafts should not be treated as finalized Estate Planning Documents.

Uploading finalized signed and notarized documents back into your dashboard helps you organize your completed Estate Plan, simplifies sharing, and helps ensure the people you trust can access important documents if needed.

Steward only stores the current uploaded version of your Estate Planning Documents. If you later upload updated documents, the previously uploaded versions are permanently removed and replaced.

Because different people may need access to different documents. Your Healthcare Agent may need your Advance Directive. Your Executor may need your Last Will & Testament. Uploading documents separately gives you precise control over what gets shared, who receives access, and which specific documents each individual can view or download.

Once you upload a finalized document, select the individuals you want to share it with, and confirm, Steward sends an invitation email on your behalf allowing those individuals to access the documents you selected. Steward does not automatically send invitations or share uploaded documents unless you manually choose to do so.

Within a Married Package, each spouse maintains separate Estate Planning Documents, separate uploads, and separate sharing permissions. However, spouses may choose to share finalized documents with one another if desired.

Yes. Individuals you choose to share with may be able to view, download, print, and provide those documents to relevant parties when necessary. Share only with people you trust.

Only if you choose to share them. Steward allows customers to share finalized documents with financial advisors, but advisors do not receive automatic access to your Estate Planning Documents. Advisors may only view, download, or print documents you specifically choose to share.

No. Steward does not verify deaths, determine legal authority, adjudicate family disputes, or grant emergency access to third parties. That responsibility remains with the account owner. This is one of the primary reasons Steward strongly encourages you to upload finalized documents, share them proactively, and make sure trusted individuals know where important documents are located and how to access them.

At launch, Steward supports PDF uploads only for finalized signed and notarized Estate Planning Documents.

Yes. Uploaded PDF documents must be 5MB or smaller per document. If your file exceeds the limit, many free online PDF compression tools can help reduce file size before uploading. Steward does not compress documents on behalf of customers.

Yes. Steward includes Free Updates for Life as part of your Estate Plan purchase. Life changes, and your Estate Plan should too.

Here is how it works: after you first download your Estate Planning Documents, you receive a 60-day grace period to continue making edits and regenerating documents as needed. Once that 60-day period ends, you may complete one free update during the following 12-month period. After each completed update, a new 60-day grace period begins for additional related edits. Unused updates do not roll over or accumulate.

Free Updates for Life is subject to Steward's Terms of Service and applicable usage limitations.

After the initial 60-day post-download grace period, Steward allows one free completed update per 12-month period. Unused updates do not roll over. The goal is to allow customers to reasonably maintain current Estate Planning Documents over time without unnecessary complexity.

When you complete and generate a new version of your Estate Planning Documents, the previous version stored within Steward is permanently removed and the newly generated version becomes the current active version associated with your account.

No. Steward intentionally stores only the current version of your Estate Planning Documents and does not maintain historical archives of prior versions or previously uploaded signed documents. When you generate updated documents, upload newly signed versions, or replace existing documents, the previous versions are permanently removed from the platform and cannot be recovered later.

This is intentional. Keeping multiple conflicting versions of Estate Planning Documents creates confusion for loved ones, uncertainty about which version is current, and unnecessary legal complications. Steward strongly encourages you to carefully review documents before finalizing updates, securely store finalized current versions, and properly destroy outdated signed and notarized documents after updating.

Yes. Once your updated Estate Planning Documents have been finalized, signed, notarized if required, and properly stored, destroy all prior signed and notarized versions. Keeping multiple conflicting versions creates confusion for loved ones and can complicate legal matters later.

Steward stores your current generated Estate Planning Documents and your currently uploaded finalized signed documents for as long as your account remains active. Only the current versions associated with your account are stored.

Yes. Many customers complete their signing process, notarize documents, and upload finalized copies back into Steward later. Uploading finalized signed documents into your dashboard allows you to organize your Estate Plan, simplify sharing, and help trusted individuals access important documents if necessary.

If you upload a newly signed and notarized version of a document, the previously uploaded version is permanently removed and the new version becomes the current version associated with your account. Steward stores only one current version of each Estate Planning Document.

If you request account deletion, access to documents stored within Steward may be permanently removed, including uploaded finalized copies. That is why Steward strongly encourages you to securely store finalized signed Estate Planning Documents outside the platform as well, and to ensure trusted individuals know where important documents are located.

At launch, Steward customer support is available by email only. Reach us at Support@withsteward.com. As Steward grows, additional support options such as AI-assisted support, live chat, and expanded customer care tools may become available.

Steward support can help with questions about how the platform works, account access, billing, document downloads, uploading signed documents, sharing functionality, dashboard navigation, and general process questions. We can also explain what documents generally do, how the workflow functions, and what steps are typically required during the estate planning process.

Steward support cannot provide legal advice, tax advice, financial advice, investment advice, or individualized Estate Planning recommendations. For example, support cannot tell you who to choose as a Guardian, tell you who should receive assets, recommend legal strategies, interpret laws for your specific situation, determine whether your documents are legally valid, or advise what is best for your family.

Steward support also cannot print, mail, or upload signed documents on your behalf, store original signed copies, or complete execution steps for you. If you need legal advice specific to your situation, please speak with a licensed attorney in your state.

No. Steward does not review, approve, or validate customer Estate Planning decisions. Steward provides a guided platform that helps you complete your own attorney-built, state-specific Estate Planning Documents. You are fully responsible for reviewing your information, confirming accuracy, properly signing your documents, and ensuring your Estate Plan reflects your wishes.

This is why carefully reviewing your answers in the audit section matters. Your responses are displayed side-by-side with the actual document language so you can clearly see what information is being included and exactly where it appears in your Estate Plan.

Yes. If your situation becomes more complex or you need individualized legal advice, Steward may recommend estate planning attorneys within our trusted referral network. Depending on your location, referrals may include attorneys who partner with Steward, attorneys recommended through trusted professional networks, or attorneys affiliated with organizations such as the Christian Legal Society. Customers are always free to work with any attorney they choose.

Not at launch. Steward customer support is available by email only. This helps our team maintain clear written communication, provide consistent support, and properly document customer requests and account activity.

Contact us at Support@withsteward.com. Providing screenshots, device information, browser information, and a detailed description of the issue can help our team resolve problems more quickly.

In some situations, Steward may allow customers to issue a time-sensitive support access token that temporarily allows our support team to view portions of your dashboard to better understand where an issue occurred. These tokens are optional, controlled by the customer, expire automatically after a limited period of time, and do not allow Steward to change your answers, edit your documents, or make decisions on your behalf.

Because Steward is intentionally designed as a guided software platform, not a law firm. Attorneys created the legal structure and state-specific framework for the Estate Planning Documents, but you complete your own Estate Plan based on your family, your wishes, your decisions, and your circumstances. That distinction matters legally, operationally, and ethically. If your situation requires individualized legal analysis or advice, you deserve to work directly with an attorney who can fully understand your circumstances and provide guidance tailored specifically to you.