Differences Between Pre and Post-Death Document Access
There are different things your loved ones will need before and after you pass away.
When you die, you’ll want to give your family secure information so they can access things like your cryptocurrency, business information, social media accounts, bank documents, etc. But before any of that happens, your heirs will need other things, as well.
Pre-death document access
Prior to your death, there are some things your loved ones should already have access to so they are aware of their responsibilities beforehand. It’s also helpful for them to know certain things in case you become incapacitated before you actually pass away.
- Last will and testament: Your last will and testament will include any wishes you have for your loved ones, like appointing a guardian for your children or giving certain things to family members. It’s good for your heirs to understand what to expect when you die, and allowing them access to this document will allow things to go smoothly once your estate plan needs to be executed.
- Trust: Management access is crucial, so whoever will be in charge of this post-death will need to be aware of its contents.
- Power of attorney: The person who holds this position needs to be aware of the type of power they will possess over you if it becomes necessary. Your power of attorney should be someone you trust completely, as they may need to make life altering decisions on your behalf.
- Living will: This document outlines end of life care for you if you are ever to become unable to make decisions for yourself, so your family knows how you would like to be cared for in an unexpected situation or in the late stages of your life.
- Letter of intent: The letter of intent will describe how you want your body to be taken care of once you pass, and if there are any specific wishes you have for your funeral service. You can also state any remaining bequests here.
Post-death document access
After you pass, There is a different set of documents that your beneficiaries will then need to have access to.
- Asset information: This includes access to your funds, like cryptocurrencies, bank accounts, retirement accounts, etc. along with any relevant statements. You’ll also need to provide property deeds and other related real estate documents, vehicle titles, stock certificates, and beneficiary designations.
- Business documents: If you owned a business, your heirs will need to know how to proceed. Whether the business is theirs to keep or sell, they will have to have access to any documentation related to the business in order to make good on your last wishes for the company.
- Contracts: This might include any loans, pre or post-nuptial agreements, leases, or other valid contractual documents.
- Bills: Bills you have left open, like utilities, loan payments, medical, cellular, credit, etc.
- Death Certificate: Of course, a death certificate will need to be accessible as well.
Keeping Everything Together
While this may seem like a lot to keep track of, Endowl can help you manage every document you need for your estate plan, whether it’s needed before or after the execution of your will. With our app, your beneficiaries will be able to access everything they need to, when they need to. With only a few clicks on their phone, everyone who plays a role in your estate plan will know when, where, and how they need to act on your behalf.
Endowl provides the decentralized tools you need to manage the full life cycle of your will. Our app makes it easy to create an estate plan and keep it up to date as life changes, without needing a lawyer. It automates and simplifies each step of creating an accurate estate plan so that it is accessible and affordable to most people.
For more information about Endowl and sign up for our upcoming beta release, please visit us at https://endowl.com.
