More single people are buying homes, building savings, and accumulating assets than at any point in recent history. More than a third (35%) of Gen Z homebuyers are single women, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report, nearly double the rate of single men in their generation.
Yet most of them are doing it without a financial safety net in place. According to Trust & Will’s 2026 Estate Planning Report, 60% of women have no estate planning documents whatsoever. Among all singles, only 16% have a will, compared to 37% of married individuals.
Estate planning isn’t just for people with spouses, children, or significant wealth. If you own a home, have a retirement account, or care about what happens to you if you become incapacitated, you need a plan.
Please note: This post is educational. We recommend consulting an estate planning attorney and a financial planner for documents specific to your situation.
Why Estate Plans Are Often More Important for Single People
Most people assume estate planning is simpler without a spouse or kids. The opposite is often true.
For married couples, the law generally assumes one spouse will make financial and medical decisions if the other becomes incapacitated. For single people, there are no such automatic protections. Without documents in place, a court might step in to make those decisions instead.
If you are single with no children and die without a will, your assets go to your living parents under most states’ intestacy laws, even if that outcome does not reflect your actual wishes or your family dynamics. If no heirs are found, assets may ultimately escheat to the state.
For those in long-term unmarried partnerships: in most states, an unmarried partner receives nothing under intestacy laws, meaning a longtime partner could be left out entirely, regardless of the nature or length of the relationship.
The Documents Every Single Person Needs
A complete estate plan for a single person typically includes five core documents. You may not need all of them immediately, but each serves a distinct purpose.
A Will
A will specifies who inherits your assets, including your home, and names an executor, the person who carries out your wishes, pays final debts, and distributes assets after your death. For single homeowners, a will is generally the document where you specify who should inherit your house. Without one, state law can dictate who gets the property.
According to Caring.com’s 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Study, only 24% of Americans have a will, meaning three out of four people are at risk of dying without one. The most common reason? “I just haven’t gotten around to it,” cited by 43% of respondents.
A Durable Power of Attorney (Financial)
A durable power of attorney designates someone to manage your finances if you become incapacitated. Without this document, a court would need to appoint someone to handle financial decisions, potentially delaying access to bank and investment accounts and making it difficult to pay bills. This is especially important for single people who do not have a spouse who could step in automatically.
A Healthcare Proxy / Healthcare Power of Attorney
A healthcare proxy names someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you cannot. With the right documents in place, including a durable power of attorney, designation of healthcare surrogate, advance healthcare directive, and HIPAA authorization, important decisions can be left to someone you know and trust rather than to a court. Without this, medical providers may defer to next of kin, which may not be who you would choose.
An Advance Healthcare Directive (Living Will)
A living will specifies your wishes for end-of-life medical care. It removes the burden of those decisions from the person you’ve designated as your healthcare proxy and works alongside that document to ensure your wishes are honored.
Updated Beneficiary Designations
Beneficiaries named on financial accounts, including life insurance policies and retirement accounts, inherit those assets regardless of what your will says. These designations override your will entirely. Many single people have outdated designations, a former partner, a deceased parent, which can create significant legal and financial complications. Review these regularly and keep them current.
For Single People Who Own Homes
Buying a home is a significant financial milestone that changes your estate planning needs immediately.
Homeownership appears to spur estate planning action: according to Trust & Will’s 2026 report, 40% of homeowners have a will, compared to just 16% of renters. That’s a meaningful gap, and it suggests that owning property motivates people to take action.
If you own a home and die without a will, the property goes through probate, a court-supervised process that can take months to over a year and could even incur significant legal costs. A revocable living trust can be an effective way to transfer a home outside of probate, but whether that makes sense for your situation depends on your state’s laws and your overall estate picture. This is worth discussing with an estate planning attorney.
Also worth reviewing: your homeowner’s insurance, mortgage documents, and any home equity accounts, to make sure they reflect your current wishes and circumstances.
Choosing Your People
For single people, choosing who fills key roles in your estate plan requires more intentionality than it does for married couples. There is no default person. You have to name them.
- Executor of your will: the person who carries out your final wishes. Should be organized, trustworthy, and ideally local. Can be a sibling, close friend, or professional executor.
- Financial power of attorney: someone you trust completely to manage your money on your behalf. Should understand your values, not just your accounts.
- Healthcare proxy: someone who knows your wishes and can advocate for them under pressure. This is often one of the most emotionally demanding roles in an estate plan.
One thing worth considering: what happens if your first choice cannot serve? Naming alternates for each role is good practice, and often overlooked.
If You Have No Children, Who Gets What?
If you are single with no children and die without a plan, your assets are distributed according to your state’s intestacy laws. Depending on your family situation, that may mean distant relatives or people you are estranged from inherit what you have spent years building.
The alternative is intentional giving. A will or trust lets you direct your estate to siblings, close friends, nieces and nephews, or charitable causes that actually reflect your values. Charitable giving can also be incorporated into an estate plan through a donor-advised fund, a direct bequest, or a specific legacy gift.
Without a plan, none of that is possible. The state does not know who matters to you. Your documents do.
When to Review and Update Your Estate Plan
Estate planning is not a one-time task. It needs to stay current as your life changes. Review your plan when:
- You buy a home or acquire another significant asset
- You experience a major life change, including a new relationship, the end of a relationship, or the death of a named person in your plan
- Your financial picture changes significantly
- Tax laws change in ways that could affect your estate
- You move to a different state, since estate laws vary significantly across state lines
Estate Plans Are Empowering
Estate planning is about making sure that your home, savings, and relationships that matter to you are protected and honored the way you would want. For single people, that requires more intentionality, not less.
If you are single and wondering whether your financial plan addresses these questions, we would be glad to help you think it through. Reach out to start a conversation.