Who do you tell?
Estate planning documents such as Wills, Revocable Trusts (“Living Trusts”), Durable Power of Attorney Instruments, and Health Care Instructions are private documents. Unlike the deed to your home or the title to your car, your estate planning documents are neither recorded nor registered anywhere. The only people who know of the existence, content, or location of these documents are you, the attorney who supervised their execution, and anyone you choose to tell. In order to avoid confusion and uncertainty, it is advisable to tell the executor named in your Will, and the financial and health care agents named in your Durable Power of Attorney Instrument and Health Care Instructions where the original documents are located, and the name, address and phone number of the attorney who prepared the documents for you. It also is advisable to give your primary care physician a copy of your Health Care Instructions.
We retain a copy of all estate planning documents you signed at our office in your client file, either as a paper copy or as a scanned electronic copy.