What should you do once your estate planning documents have been signed and your estate plan is in place? Here are some tips for storing and safeguarding your estate planning documents.

We've told you before how important it is to prepare an estate plan. But what should you do once your documents have been signed and your estate plan is in place? It is very important to safeguard the originals of your documents, as it will be necessary to have the originals in the event of your death or disability. Although there is no perfect place to store your Wills and other estate planning documents, there are some place that should be avoided. For example, a safe deposit box should not be used for storage because the box comes as part of a rental agreement with the attached bank—that agreement is between whoever is the signer on the box and the bank. After you die, no one else can get access to the box, absent a court order. Getting that court order requires additional trips to court, which costs money and is an all-around hassle. Avoid safe deposit boxes; home safes or locked filing cabinets are good options, though it is always a good idea to ensure your family knows where the documents are located and someone knows how to access them. A few additional thoughts on storing your estate planning documents:

* For all individuals named in your estate planning documents, be sure to keep with those documents an up-to-date list of contact information for those individuals.

* For those people who have been named to “key” roles in the documents, e.g., Personal Representative, Trustee, Guardian, Financial Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney, etc., make sure those people have been informed of their roles and how to access the relevant documents, if necessary.

* Along with your estate planning documents, keep copies of the past two years’ worth of tax returns, as well as a list of online accounts and passwords.

It is also important to remember that, although your Will may have been signed, it is not effective until your death and you can amend it at any time prior to your death, assuming you still have mental capacity. Changes should be made only by a properly prepared Codicil or by preparing an entirely new Will. You should NOT attempt to make changes to your document by writing on the original, as this could render the document ineffective.

If you have questions about preparing a Will or other estate planning documents, give us a call at 253.858.5434 to set up an appointment today. We represent clients throughout Washington and Idaho and are available to meet in person, by phone, or via video conference.