(This blog was updated in November 2023.)

After my clients sign their wills and trusts, I always ask them two questions: Where are you going to keep these documents and have you given your family that information?

Knowing where to find a person’s will is important, but it’s the tip of the iceberg when it comes to communicating your estate plan to your family.

Even more important than where to locate the estate planning instruments are the password to the decedent’s email account, the account number and contact information for the cable company and the storage location of last year’s tax return.

An estate plan needs to include a provision that information about the person’s life is stored in one place that is made known to all of the relevant members of the family.

The information you compile should include at least the following:

• A listing of the property that you own, with copies of the recorded deeds;
• Updated list of vehicles owned with titles;
• A listing of your bank accounts and investment accounts with account numbers and contact information;
• A listing of retirement plans, life insurance and other investment vehicles, again with contact information;
• The date and location of your Last Will and Testament, Living Trust and Health Care directives;
• A statement about organ donation, if you have exercised that option;
• A summary of your funeral arrangements, including cremation requests, place and type of funeral service, burial site, memorial contributions, and type of monument or marker;
• Credit cards and debt obligations;
• A listing of all memberships and organizations;
• Sources of regular income, such as social security or pension;
• List of all device and account passwords.

It would also be helpful to your family to provide information about your life, including schools attended, employment history, groups or organization that you’ve been involved in and hobbies.

A medical history is also a very helpful piece of information for your surviving family members.

Make a copy of your lists for those that will need them and update them regularly with new information.

_______________

Shawna L. L’Italien, a lawyer in the Salem office of Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell, focuses on business organization, commercial and real estate transactions, succession planning, elder law and estate planning. She can be reached at slitalien@hhmlaw.com or at (330) 337-6586.