Legal documents for end of life

BC135If you want to sort out your legal documents for end of life, it’s really quite straightforward.

On the legal side, there are only 2 absolute essentials you should have WHATEVER YOUR AGE:

  • A Will (determines what happens to your stuff after you die)
  • Powers of Attorney (determine what happens to you/your stuff if you’re alive but unable to make decisions).

We also recommend having an Advance Decision/Directive to share your values and preferences around healthcare.

Store and share your documents

To keep on top of all your legal and financial paperwork, use our secure Safe Deposit Box to store and share the paperwork for next of kin securely with your Keyholder. It’s free and easy to use and update.

Wills

Of all the legal documents for end of life, we’re probably most familiar with the Will. Lots of films have dramatic scenes around the reading of a Last Will and Testament. If you don’t already have one, have a look at this page on Writing a Will and start thinking about whether you need a Will. (I’d be surprised if the answer was ‘no’.) As part of that exercise you will appoint a couple of Executors who carry out your wishes after you’ve gone. Here’s some information about the probate and confirmation process when a Will is activated. Have a think about legacy giving if you’d like to leave something behind to a good cause you support. If part of your legacy is to be organ or body donation, make sure you’ve sorted that now or you might not be able to have your wishes fulfilled.

Last Wishes

Final Fling offers free Life Planning Tools so you can keep track of your funeral wishes and last wishes as you go. This allows you to leave gifts and trinkets to special people. (Like I’ve left bits and bobs that are family heirlooms – though not worth much – to my kids and I’ve left my leather coat to my friend Yvonne.) Your Will can refer to the fact that you have instructions on Final Fling. It’s much better to keep track of these gifts in your Wishes than in your Will for 3 reasons:

  1. It saves paying a lawyer to update your Will.
  2. Life, how you think and feel, the things you have and the people in your life change all the time. You can update your Wishes just by posting a comment or photo of the items you are gifting and share with your Keyholder(s). It means you’re not limited to how often you change your Will.
  3. You won’t hold up your Estate being wound up. If lawyers have to try and find a ring or book or some other gift to fulfill your Will’s instructions and they can’t find them, the rest of the Will’s instructions can’t be fulfilled. This can take months.

Storing your paperwork

We recommend that you use your highly secure Safe Deposit Box on Final Fling to store all your documents. It’s free to do. You simply scan, upload and share the document with your Keyholders.

When someone dies

See more on the paperwork you will need when someone dies and how the Tell Us Once Service helps you get the word out to authorities to notify them of a death and save unwelcome mail.

Get professional help

We have expert legal advisers ready to help. Email us and we’ll put you straight in touch. They will talk to you first and discuss your needs (free) and let you know what costs are before you start any work. This stuff is definitely worth investing in for peace of mind. (I’ve had a Will since I was 24 when I didn’t have two pennies to rub together. You never know the moment.)

Your legal adviser will talk to you about where you’re at, what you need and help you secure your future (for you and family/friends):