Whether you are just not starting the estate planning process or feel like you have completed your estate plan, you should keep all your estate planning documents together in one place. This will make it easier when you meet with an attorney to begin your estate plan, and it will help your family distribute your estate after you have passed away.
The documents you should keep together are your will, trust, power of attorney, medical directives, life insurance policies, investment account statements, and safety deposit box information.
If you have a will, make sure to have a copy of it, as well as copies of codicils and any previous versions of your will. If an attorney helped draft your will, have the attorney’s name and law firm information easily available as well. Keep the original will in a safe deposit box.
If you have a trust, make sure to have a copy of the Trust Agreement. Keep the original Trust Agreement in a safe deposit box with your will. If there are any bank accounts of pieces of property associated with the trust, keep their statements and deeds near your copy of the Trust Agreement. You should also have the contact information of the attorney who helped create and fund the trust.
If you have a power of attorney, have the original and a copy of the document readily available.
Let your attorney or a trusted family member know the location of your safety deposit box, and also tell them where the keys are.
The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about creating a Trust, Will, or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.