Estate Planning is a broad field and may be viewed better as a process. There are many devices available that one thinks of as they go through this process.
A commonly known and much thought of device is the Testamentary Will. A Testamentary Will is said to speak at death, and is the device used to transfer assets that one has acquired during their lifetime. At death, the Testamentary Will is probated and the executor of the estate will collect assets and file inventories and accountings, and at the end distribute the estate to the beneficiaries named under the Testamentary Will.