Document generation workflow

This article covers the full lifecycle of a document inside Bancroft: picking a type, completing the questionnaire, generating a draft, reviewing it, finalizing, and delivering it to the client. If you have not yet created a household, start with the Getting Started article first. The next step after document generation is funding the trust, which is what most platforms skip — see Trust Funding Automation for the workflow that actually finishes the plan.

Picking a document type

Open a household and click "Add Document." The document picker shows every type available for the household's state of residence. Documents are organized by phase: core documents first (will, trust, POAs), then supplemental (HIPAA, personal property memo, trust certification), then specialized (Lady Bird Deed, amendments, restatements).

Bancroft builds one document at a time. There is no single bundled questionnaire that produces an entire estate plan. This is intentional. It gives you control over scope and timing. Build the will today, come back for the trust next week. Household-level data (names, addresses, family members) carries across all documents so you never re-enter it.

The questionnaire

Each document type has its own questionnaire tailored to the information needed for that specific document. Questionnaires are typically 5 to 15 minutes. A progress indicator at the top shows where you are.

Key behaviors:

• Answers autosave as you go. You can leave and come back at any time without losing work.
• Help text appears below complex questions. Some questions include a dropdown with additional context about why the question matters and how it affects the document.
• Repeatable sections (children, beneficiaries, assets) let you add as many entries as needed.
• If the household has an asset inventory or important people on file, the questionnaire pre-populates relevant fields automatically.
• State-specific questions appear based on the household's state of residence. The questionnaire branches by state where the law differs.

Generating a draft

When the questionnaire is complete, click "Generate Draft." The platform assembles the document from your answers using the clause engine, which selects and composes state-specific legal language based on the client's situation. Generation takes a few seconds. A progress animation shows while the document is being built.

The draft is watermarked. This is intentional. Drafts are for review, not for signing. The watermark prevents clients from accidentally executing a draft version.

You can generate as many drafts as you want. There is no cost or limit on drafts. If something looks wrong, go back to the questionnaire, fix the answer, and regenerate. Each regeneration produces a fresh draft reflecting the current answers.

Reviewing the draft

Read the draft carefully. Check:

• Names, dates, and addresses are correct.
• Beneficiary designations match what was intended.
• Distribution provisions (who gets what, when, and how) are accurate.
• Named agents (executor, trustee, POA agent, guardian) are the right people.
• State-specific provisions are appropriate for the client's jurisdiction.

The platform shows the document in a reading view inside the browser. You can also download the draft as a PDF for offline review or to share with the client before finalizing.

Attorney review

Certain situations route the document to a licensed attorney for individual review before finalization. This happens automatically when the platform detects complexity that exceeds the standard template coverage:

• Special needs beneficiaries who receive government benefits
• Blended family provisions with children from prior relationships
• Business succession planning beyond basic entity ownership
• Custom final arrangement requests outside standard options
• Any situation where the advisor flags the document for review

When a document is routed to attorney review, you will see its status change to "In Review." The attorney reviews the document, may request additional information, and either approves it for finalization or returns it with notes. You are notified by email when the review is complete.

Finalizing the document

Once you are satisfied with the draft (and attorney review is complete, if applicable), click "Finalize." This produces the clean, watermark-free version of the document. Finalization also:

• Locks the document. The questionnaire can no longer be edited. If changes are needed after finalization, you will need to create a revision or amendment.
• Records a disclaimer acknowledgment. You confirm that the document has been reviewed and is ready for client execution.
• Stores the finalized version permanently in the household record.
• Triggers downstream automations: trust funding letters (if a trust was finalized), vault document tracker updates, and advisor opportunity flags.

Delivering to the client

After finalization, you have several options:

• Download as PDF for printing and in-person signing.
• The client can view their documents in the client portal under "My Documents."
• Order professional printing through the platform (print order system with document selection and shipping).
• The execution checklist on the household detail page tracks which documents have been signed, witnessed, and notarized.

Each document type includes state-specific execution instructions: how many witnesses are required, whether notarization is needed, and any special signing requirements. These instructions appear in the finalized document and in the execution checklist.

Revising a finalized document

If a mistake is discovered after finalization, or the client wants to make changes before signing, you can create a revision. A revision reopens the questionnaire with all existing answers intact, lets you make changes, and produces a new finalized version. The original version is preserved in the revision history.

For changes after the document has been signed and executed, use the amendment or restatement workflow instead. See the Amendments and Restatements article for details.