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LearnFAQEstate Planning

What should I do with my estate documents after I sign them so my family can find them?

Answer

Signed originals only help if the right people can access them. Store your will, trust, powers of attorney, and healthcare directive in a safe, accessible place, such as a fireproof home safe or with your estate attorney; a bank safe-deposit box can be problematic because it may be sealed at death or hard for others to open. Tell your executor, trustee, and healthcare agent where the documents are and give copies of your healthcare directive and financial power of attorney to the relevant people and providers now, since those are needed while you're alive. Keep an updated list of accounts, passwords, insurance policies, and key contacts alongside them. Review the location and copies whenever you update the documents so nothing outdated is left in circulation.

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