In case I die: a practical checklist for the people you love
Create a printable family starting page with contacts, household responsibilities and document locations. Free to edit, save and print.
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.
Make a family starting page
Prepare this before an unexpected absence or death. It is a starting map, not a checklist for settling an estate. Choose the parts that fit and keep the first copy simple.
Use locations and contact roles rather than passwords, recovery keys, full account numbers or identity numbers.
See a fictional example
Fictional example: “If I cannot guide you, call the household coordinator on our contact sheet. The pet-care routine is in the home folder. Our record index explains where originals live.”
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Make a family starting page
Prepared / reviewed: ____________________
Who to contact first
First contact and backup
First contact and backup: ________________________________________________
Professional contacts
Professional contacts: ________________________________________________
Keep the household running
What needs attention next
What needs attention next: ________________________________________________
Where to find ongoing instructions
Where to find ongoing instructions: ________________________________________________
Where the records are
Originals and copies
Originals and copies: ________________________________________________
Who can help find or replace them
Who can help find or replace them: ________________________________________________
Make the handoff findable
Where your chosen person should begin
Where your chosen person should begin: ________________________________________________
Review date and remaining tasks
Review date and remaining tasks: ________________________________________________
This is practical information, not a will, legal authority or permission to access an account. Keep urgent contacts available offline. Store this copy appropriately and share only what each person needs.
Prepared with WiseTomorrow · wisetomorrow.com/guides/in-case-i-die-checklist
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
Have a correction? Contact WiseTomorrow.