In case I die: a practical checklist for the people you love
Leave a clear starting point for your family: contacts, document locations, accounts, household instructions and a plan for finding them.
Start with a map, then gather the records #
Your family needs to know who to call, what needs attention, where records live and how to request appropriate access. You can make that map before every document is organized. It also helps during a hospital stay, an emergency or an extended absence.
Write the first page today #
Create a short note titled “Start here.” Keep it where your chosen person knows to look. Record locations and contact roles here; keep sensitive details in protected storage.
- Who to contact first, plus a backup person if they cannot be reached.
- Where to find your document index and the date you last checked it.
- Which immediate responsibilities need a handoff: children, pets, dependent adults or scheduled care.
- Who handles your legal, financial, insurance and workplace questions.
- What your family should do if the usual person or device is unavailable.
Build your information inventory #
Work through these categories over several short sessions. Mark an item “not applicable” instead of hunting for a document your household does not have.
- Identity and family records: list the records you hold and where originals are kept.
- Legal planning: locate existing wills, trusts and powers of attorney, and record the professional who can explain them.
- Money: list institutions, account purposes, regular bills and insurance contacts.
- Digital life: list essential email, phone, cloud and password-manager services and their approved access processes.
- Personal instructions: record people to notify and wishes you want discussed. Separate informal wishes from legal documents.
Source: National Institute on Aging: Getting your affairs in order
Add a household handoff #
A list of assets will not tell someone how next Tuesday works. Write a simple routine for the responsibilities you usually manage.
- List bills due soon, their usual payment method and the provider to contact.
- Explain recurring school, care, pet and home responsibilities.
- Record where spare keys and home operating instructions can be found without putting access codes on a public sheet.
- Leave a short list of subscriptions or services someone should review with the provider.
Test the starting point together #
Ask your chosen person to locate the index and one non-sensitive record without your help. If they get stuck, improve the instructions. Set a review reminder and revisit the plan after an account, contact, address or family change. This is an information-organizing checklist, not a will or permission to act on an account.
WiseTomorrow is a technology service for organizing and sharing information. It does not provide legal, tax, financial or estate-planning advice, does not replace a will, trust, power of attorney, beneficiary designation or advance directive, and does not verify that stored documents are valid. Consult a licensed professional for advice about your situation. Read the full legal disclaimer.
Sources and editorial notes
Prepared by WiseTomorrow, the maker of Wise Box. These resources help organize information; they are not an independent product review. No specialist review is claimed. How these resources are prepared.
- National Institute on Aging: Getting your affairs in order · Source checked 2026-09-09
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