Help Your Parents Organize Their Documents and Other Affairs

It can be stressful trying to locate estate planning documents and other important files during a time of upset.  It’s important to make sure that your parents have all of their affairs organized as they continue to age.  Organization, not only allows them to have information that they may need easily available, it better ensures important documents are available in the event of a crisis. If you have any questions, or if you’d like to get tips on how to help your parents with their estate planning affairs, contact an experienced and qualified estate planning attorney.

Organization is key!

Take the time to help your parents sort through their documents and important files.  It can be easy for important information to become misplaced or mixed up with other things around the house.  It’s a good idea to plan a time to get more organized.  Make it a family affair!

What items should be kept in a safe place?

• Estate planning documents
• Health insurance cards and documents
• Life insurance policies
• Social security cards
• Vehicle title documents and car loan documents
• Deeds and mortgage contracts
• Bank account statements and information
• Investment and retirement account statements and information
• Tax returns
• Account information for bills and expenses
• Passwords, usernames, and PINs for all accounts
• Identity papers such as birth certificates, passports, naturalization papers and military discharge papers

You and your parents never know when these documents may need to be handy.  It’s a good idea to clear a space in the home that can accommodate all important files, so they are kept together.   Even 15 minutes of organization at a time, makes a difference.

If your parents don’t take the time to organize documents, there can be much more stress and upset in the future.  You want to make sure that they’re always protected in the event of an emergency. If you have any questions about how to properly organize estate planning documents, consult with an experienced and qualified estate planning attorney.

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Timothy P. Murphy

Timothy P. Murphy is an estate planning and elder law attorney whose practice emphasizes helping people to build, preserve and pass on their wealth. He works with his clients to accomplish their goals while avoiding unnecessary court proceedings and minimizing or eliminating exposure to death taxes.

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