Put Your Paperwork in Order

When my mother passed away unexpectedly, the greatest gift she gave me was that her legal paperwork was accurate, complete and up to date.  Her wishes were crystal clear.  It’s hard to think straight when you’re grieving, so having everything spelled out was a relief.  Having all the paperwork in order also saved me the expense, stress and emotional toll of probate, legal wrangling and tax hell. 

Julia was not so fortunate.  Sorting out her mother’s estate required a year of hemorrhaging money for legal fees and taxes --plus grappling with a mountain of indecipherable paperwork and umpteen stressful meetings.   

“It was so emotionally draining,” she said.  “Every meeting with the lawyer meant we had to relive mom’s death.  A half hour probate meeting would knock me out for the rest of the day.”

I'm determined to spare others from this unnecessary anguish.  I encourage you to ask yourself:  What kind of experience do you want for the people you care about? 

If you haven’t already, now is the time to update your will, your medical wishes, your funerary wishes, your trust and all other legal documents.  It’s also helpful to document your financial holdings, to bundle important information with your legal documents and to place it in a safe, secure location.

Activity:  Review your legal documents including your will, your medical wishes, your funerary wishes, etc.  What’s in place already?  What gaps need to be addressed?  Take the necessary steps to ensure all your legal documents are accurate and complete.  Inform your executor(s) of your medical and funerary wishes.

Activity:  Should something happen to you, what information will your heirs need?  Document important legal and financial information such as financial holdings, passwords, etc.

Activity:  Place your important legal and financial documents in a safe, secure location.  Inform your executor(s) of their location.

Your comments are most welcome.  Message me or leave a comment below.