How to set up additional questionnaires
The first questionnaire that you start out with upon sign up is an English 'planning' style one, where it is assumed it is filled in by a living client doing planning for themselves. If you need additional questionnaires for other types of engagement, you can create them from the 'customization' menu. Each questionnaire is built on one of four currently available styles:
- Business
- Planning
- Probate/Administration
- Elder Law
The style decides who fills in the questionnaire and which starter questions it includes. You can create as many questionnaires as you need, and your client can complete more than one.
Create an additional questionnaire
- To add your questionnaire go to Settings > Customization then click Add at the top corner.
- Then enter an Internal type. This is a short label that only your firm sees, for example "Planning", "Probate", "Administration" or "Elder".
- Now pick the Style:
Business style
Filled in by: the person themselves.
What it asks: only basic information about the person filling it in. It does not ask for marital status or partner details, and it can be used to create any kind of business intake questionnaire.
Examples of questionnaires you could build with it:
- A bankruptcy intake, where you add questions about debts, creditors and income.
- A business formation intake for a new LLC or corporation.
- A business succession or buy-sell planning intake.
- A general new-client intake for a business, contract or litigation matter.
Language: English only for now.
Planning style
Filled in by: the person themselves.
Person's status: living.
What it asks: the standard estate planning intake for a living client planning for themselves, including questions about family, children, advisors, assets, decision-makers and beneficiaries.
The first questionnaire you start with at sign up is a Planning style questionnaire.
Examples of questionnaires you could build with it:
- An estate planning intake for wills, trusts, powers of attorney and healthcare directives.
- A separate intake for existing clients who are updating their plan.
- A questionnaire for a specific kind of planning, such as a special needs plan or a trust-only package.
- A Spanish-language version of any of the above, for Spanish-speaking clients.
Planning is the only style where you choose both the starting content and the language. The option you pick sets the language of the questionnaire.
| Option | What you get |
|---|---|
| Empty frame: blank, English | A blank questionnaire with just the fixed questions, in English. |
| Empty frame: blank, Spanish | A blank questionnaire with just the fixed questions, in Spanish. The financial intake and standard labels come translated. |
| Template: Starter Estate Planning Questionnaire, English | Pre-built custom questions, financial categories and document requests, in English. You can edit anything after copying. |
| Template: Starter Estate Planning Questionnaire, Spanish | The full template, already translated. Anything you add on top shows exactly as you type it. |
Choose a blank questionnaire if you want to write your own questions. Choose a starter template if you want a ready-made Estate Planning questionnaire to adjust.
Language: English or Spanish.
Translated: the fixed questions, the section names, the financial intake and the standard labels. The Spanish starter template is the full template, translated.
Not translated: custom questions you add. DecisionVault does not translate them. They show exactly as you type them, so write them in Spanish.
Not translated: confirmation of started/submitted questionnaires and reminder emails. They stay firm-written, so write the email text in Spanish yourself if you want Spanish emails.
Exports keep English labels. Exports from a Spanish questionnaire use English labels. Your client's answers stay as they entered them
Probate / Administration style
Filled in by: a representative or executor, on behalf of a decedent.
Person's status: deceased.
What it asks: information about the person who passed away. The fields 'date of death' and 'place of death' automatically show up alongside the standard 'date of birth'. The representative also provides their own details.
Examples of questionnaires you could build with it:
- A probate intake for the executor or personal representative.
- An estate administration intake, where you add questions about the decedent's assets, debts and beneficiaries.
- A trust administration intake for a successor trustee.
- A small estate or affidavit intake.
Language: English only for now.
Elder Law style
Filled in by: a representative, on behalf of a living person.
Person's status: living.
What it asks: information about the living person the representative is helping, plus the representative's own details. It is meant for elder law, guardianship, conservatorship and similar matters.
Examples of questionnaires you could build with it:
- An elder law intake, completed by an adult child for a parent.
- A Medicaid or long-term care planning intake.
- A guardianship or conservatorship intake.
- An intake for an agent acting under a power of attorney.
Language: English only for now.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questionnaires can I create?
As many as you need, and a client can complete more than one. Each questionnaire gets its own standard link and its own customization.
Which styles are available in Spanish?
Planning is available in English and Spanish, as a blank frame or as the full starter template. Business, Probate/Administration, and Elder Law are English only for now.
What is the Internal type for?
It is a short label that only your firm sees, used to tell questionnaires apart, for example Planning, Probate, Administration, or Elder. Clients never see it.
What is translated on a Spanish questionnaire?
The fixed questions, section names, financial intake, and standard labels come translated, and the Spanish starter template is the full template translated. Custom questions you add and the firm-written emails are not translated, so write those in Spanish yourself. Exports keep English labels, with the client's answers exactly as entered.