August 28, 2017

Doing all of the necessary work to put your things in order and to ensure that you have carefully considered all of the different tools and strategies that can be used to accomplish your estate planning goals is only a piece of the puzzle. It is equally important to consider the many different tools and how you will be able to share these with your loved ones. If something were to happen to you unexpectedly, would your family members know where to locate the necessary information? 

For most people, the answer is no. While many people understand the value of putting together an estate plan and ensuring that it is in a safe location such as a safe deposit box, it is common for individuals to put these items in a safe place and then to forget where that safe location is. While you’re assuming that you may never do that, unfortunately, many different estate planning attorneys can share their experience of digging through old boxes and storage looking for a copy of a living will or a power of attorney for people who would have said the same thing. In a case where a client only executes one copy of a will, it should also be copied and stored in several safe locations.

Furthermore, your family members must know where to access these details if something were to happen to you unexpectedly. No one anticipates being in the position of having to put together estate planning documents, however, articulating these in a safe deposit box in a safe location within your home such as a safe that is protected from fire and in your attorney’s office gives your loved ones the necessary materials to take action as soon as possible if something were to happen to you unexpectedly.