For new parents
What estate planning do new parents need before the baby arrives?
A will that names a guardian for your child, a trust that controls how they receive money, and enough life insurance to replace an income if one of you is gone. Most new parents have none of this in place: recent survey data puts the share of adults with a current will at under a third. Naming a guardian is the one decision only a will can make binding.
$3,000 flat fee. No payment required to get started.
A first estate plan
Five documents that work as a system, not five things to check off
No single document covers everything a new family needs. A will names a guardian but does not replace your income. Life insurance replaces income but does not decide who raises your child. Each piece below closes a gap the others cannot.
A will
The only document that names a guardian
Names who raises your child if neither of you can, and who settles your estate. Without one, a court decides both questions.
A children's trust
Controls how and when money reaches your child
Holds what your child inherits and releases it on a schedule you set, rather than handing an 18-year-old a lump sum.
Financial power of attorney
Keeps bills paid if you cannot act
Lets someone you name manage money, pay the mortgage, and handle accounts if you are incapacitated, not just after death.
Healthcare proxy
Puts medical decisions in a chosen hand
Names who makes medical decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself, separate from who handles your finances.
Updated beneficiaries
Overrides whatever your will says
Retirement accounts and life insurance pay out to whoever is named on the form, no matter what your will says. New parents often forget to update these.
The hardest decision
Naming a guardian is the one thing a will can do that nothing else can
It is often the reason new parents put off estate planning altogether, because it feels like an impossible choice. In practice, it breaks down into a few concrete decisions.
Name a primary guardian and a backup
Choose the person you want first, and a second choice in case the first cannot serve when the time comes: they have moved, their health has changed, or their own life looks different by then.
The guardian and the trustee do not have to match
Who raises your child day to day (the guardian of the person) is a separate decision from who manages the money they inherit (a trustee, or guardian of the property). Many families split the two roles on purpose.
Talk to the people you are naming first
Confirm they are willing and able before you put their name in a document. A guardian who finds out after the fact is a guardian who may decline the role exactly when your child needs stability.
Without a will, a judge decides
If neither parent leaves a valid nomination, the court appoints a guardian using its own judgment, and family members who disagree can end up in a dispute at the worst possible time. Naming someone in a will keeps that decision with you.
The other half of the plan
A will names a guardian. Life insurance pays for the life your child keeps living
A common starting point is coverage worth 10 to 15 times your annual income, then adjusted for any debt, ongoing childcare costs, and future education. Term life insurance often fits a young family well: it provides a larger amount of coverage for a fixed period, at a lower cost than permanent coverage, for exactly the years your child depends on that income.
Employer-provided coverage is frequently only one or two times salary, and it typically ends when the job does. If a stay-at-home partner also contributes unpaid work like childcare, that work has a real replacement cost too, which is why some households insure both parents, not just the one with a paycheck. A financial advisor can review what amount and term actually fit your household.
Why now
Before the baby, this feels optional. After, it is the first thing you wish you had done
Most families put an estate plan off because it feels too early, or too uncomfortable to think about. The due date is a real deadline. Getting the guardian nomination, the trust, and the beneficiary updates in place before the baby arrives means one fewer thing competing for attention in a year that is already full of new decisions.
How Neptune works
Three steps to a plan built for your growing family
Guided intake for your family
Neptune's guided intake asks about your child, who you are considering as a guardian, and your assets, in plain language before any attorney is on the clock.
A consultation with your attorney
You are connected with an experienced estate planning attorney who can talk through your guardian decision, a trust for your child, and how your beneficiary designations should line up. Consultations are free.
A plan in place before the due date
Your attorney drafts your will, trust, and supporting documents, then guides you through signing and updating beneficiaries on existing accounts.
Not married yet, or thinking about a prenup alongside your family planning? See how Neptune approaches prenups for couples building a life together.
Transparent pricing
One flat fee for your will, trust, and supporting documents
Your attorney drafts a plan around your family, including guardian nominations, a trust for your child, and updated beneficiary guidance.
$3,000
flat fee
Your first consultation is free. No payment required to get started.
Guides for you
Guides on estate planning for growing families
Start with the guides other new parents read before they begin, then take the next step when you are ready.
Common questions from new parents
What estate planning do new parents actually need before the baby arrives?
Five documents working together: a will that names a guardian for your child, a trust that controls how they receive money, a financial power of attorney, a healthcare proxy, and updated beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance. Each one closes a gap the others cannot. A will alone names a guardian but does not replace your income; life insurance replaces income but does not name a guardian.
How do we choose a guardian for our child?
Name a primary guardian, the person you want first, and a contingent guardian as a backup in case your first choice cannot serve later. Talk with both people before naming them, so you know they are willing. You can also split the roles: one person raises your child day to day, while a trustee separately manages any money or property your child inherits. Your attorney can help you think through both roles.
What happens if we do not name a guardian?
A court decides who raises your child, using its own judgment rather than yours. If family members disagree about who should take on that role, it can turn into a dispute at exactly the time your child needs stability the most. Naming a guardian in a valid will is what keeps that decision with you.
How much life insurance do new parents need?
A common starting point is 10 to 15 times your annual income, then adjusted for debt, ongoing childcare, and future education costs. Term life insurance is often a fit for new parents because it provides a larger amount of coverage for a fixed period at a lower cost than permanent coverage. Employer-provided coverage is frequently only one to two times salary and typically ends when the job does, so many families add their own policy on top. A financial advisor can review what fits your household.
When should we get this done, and what does it cost?
Most families start before the due date so the guardian decision and beneficiary updates are in place when the baby arrives, rather than adding it to an already full first year. Neptune charges a flat fee of $3,000 for an estate plan, covering guided intake and an experienced estate planning attorney who drafts your will, trust, and supporting documents. Your first consultation is free, and no payment is required to get started.