Where is the best place to store estate planning documents?
It’s a familiar series of events: an elderly parent is rushed to the hospital in the afternoon, and once children are notified, the search for the Power of Attorney, Living Will, and Health Care Power of Attorney begins. According to an article from The News-Enterprise titled “Give thought to storing your estate papers,” such anxiety is easily avoided with planning and communication.” However, the simple solution doesn’t mean most people address it.
As a general rule, estate planning documents should be kept together in a fire and waterproof container in a location known to fiduciaries. In Maryland, you can file your will for safekeeping with the local Register of Wills. We highly recommend Court storage.
Most people think of a bank safe deposit box as a protected place. However, it’s not a good location for several reasons. Individuals may not have access to the contents of the safe deposit box unless they are named on the account. Even with their names on the account, emergencies don’t follow bankers’ hours. Suppose the Power of Attorney giving the person the ability to access the safe deposit box is inside the safe deposit box. In that case, bank officials are not likely to be willing to open the box to an unknown person.
A well-organized binder of documents in a fire and waterproof container at home makes the most sense.
Certain documents should be given in advance to certain agencies or offices. For instance, health care documents, like the Health Care Power of Attorney and Advance Medical Directive (or Living Will) should be given to each healthcare provider to keep in the person’s medical record and be sure they are accessible 24/7 to healthcare providers. Make sure that there are copies for adult children or whoever has been designated to serve as the Health Care Power of Attorney. We recommend that those documents be emailed to your decision-makers.
It may feel like an overwhelming task to contact banks and brokerage houses in advance to make sure they accept a Power of Attorney form in advance. However, imagine the same hours plus the immense stress if this has to be done when a parent is incapacitated or has died. Banks, in particular, require POAs to be reviewed by their own attorneys before the document can be approved, which could take weeks to complete.
Depending upon where you live, Durable General Powers of Attorney may be filed at the county clerk’s office. If a POA is filed but is later revoked and a new document created, or if a fiduciary needs to convey real estate property with the powers conferred by a POA, the document at the county clerk’s office should be updated.
When you store your estate planning documents, special care should be taken with the Last Will and Testament. Wills can be kept at home and not filed anywhere until after death. The profiling is recommended because minor markers made on the will, like scratching out names, will cause a hearing, and resulting delays.
Each fiduciary listed in the documents should be given a copy of the documents. This will be helpful when it’s time to show proof they are a decision-maker.
Having estate planning documents properly prepared by an experienced estate planning attorney is the first step. Step two is ensuring they are safely and properly stored so they are ready for use when needed.
Reference: The Times-Enterprise (June 11, 2022) “Give thought to storing your estate papers”
