Preserving Your Estate Planning Documents, Elder Law Attorney, Woodstock, GA

Once you have an estate plan that you are satisfied with, you need to preserve the documents. They should be stored in a place that protects them from harm and where they can be readily accessed after you pass away. We discuss some tips on how to do that.

Your estate plan is worth nothing if it is destroyed or if no one can find it after you pass away. In order for your directives to be followed, people have to be able to read what those directives are.

All too often, important estate planning documents are lost or accidentally destroyed.

Recently, LifeHealth Pro offered some suggestions regarding how to make sure your estate plan documents are safe in “5 Tips for keeping original paperwork of key estate planning documents.”

The LifeHealth Pro tips include:

Make sure the original documents are easy to find. This means that, at a minimum, someone else knows where you have them stored.
Make copies. If for some reason the originals cannot be found, the copies will alert people that the originals exist so they can look for them. However, be sure to destroy the copies if you change your estate plan. Otherwise, this can lead to needless confusion.
Use a safety deposit box to store the originals and make sure that the box can be easily accessed after you pass away. If you have a trusted executor, you might want to consider putting the executor’s name on the safety deposit box.
If you have a living will, it is a good idea to indicate in that document that you have a will, and who the executor is, so he or she can be notified.

These tips are just the starting point. Your estate planning attorney will have other recommendations for your unique circumstances.

Reference: LifeHealthPro (July 14, 2015) “5 Tips for keeping original paperwork of key estate planning documents.”

Hear From Our Clients

“On the threshold of retirement, we finally decided to quit thinking we could self-prepare the requisite documents. We had previously had only a very simple will. We needed the necessary legal (including updated will) & health care docs but didn’t want to deal with the time & complication of legalese. Cindy made the process relatively painless. She took the time to explain and answer questions without trying to upsell services. We were done in 2 meetings plus the reading of emailed drafts. In addition to preparing the documents, Nelson Eldercare will be there when our adult children need advice on executing the plans we’ve put in place.So glad it’s behind us and would recommend Cindy and her helpful staff.”

- Bonnie

Cindy and her company treat their clients like family. Nelson’s offers clear, direct, and honest guidance in planning for your families security and future. No one wants to actively sit down and make these decisions, but Nelson’s makes this process seamless. I was so impressed with their willingness to answer all questions big or small. So glad I made the decision have them help my mom and dad and now me. You can’t go wrong with Nelson’s Elder Care Law.

- Hope

The very best elder law attorney and staff anyone could ever ask for! I have referred a number of clients to Cindy and she never disappoints. She is kind, caring, and extremely thorough in making sure everything is completed as it should be. I highly recommend Cindy for anyone needing lawyer services; she truly goes above and beyond for every client she helps and has had a huge impact in so many peoples’ lives. Thank you, Cindy and staff, for everything that you do- I’m so glad to know you!

- Kerri

I heard Cindy’s presentation at a Senior Luncheon at my church, and was very impressed. She helped my daughter and me understand many aspects of elder law. Josh has also been very helpful in my planning to enter an independent living situation . I have told many friends about them.

- Charlotte

Cindy and the Nelson Elder Care Law team are trustworthy and helpful. They are the experts in elder care law. At Leaf Cremation, we entrust our families to the care of the Nelson team when their services are needed.

- Pierce