05/07/2026
So you've completed your estate plan. Congratulations! 🎉
That's a great accomplishment. Now be honest, where have you decided to keep the original documents?
Is it in a file folder in your filing cabinet?
Or in a safe deposit box at the bank?
Or is it (eep!) in a pile of paperwork on your desk?
Deciding where you'll keep these documents is just as important as making sure they are up-to-date.
Wealth Management has a fantastic article with four specific recommendations for keeping these documents safe and accessible for those who'll need it when they need it. Take a read. Link to full article below. Here's a quick blurb:
"A complete estate plan includes documents which are to be used in the event of your clients’ incapacity as well as at their death. In both of these situations, it’s important that the individuals named to serve in those documents are aware that the documents exist, where they are located and how they may be accessed. After all, if the original documents can’t be found, they will be of little use. A beneficiary of a will whose original that can’t be located, for example, may be out of luck, if the beneficiary wouldn’t have otherwise inherited under the applicable state laws relating to intestate succession. For example, Virginia law presumes that if an original will can’t be located, its creator destroyed it with the intent that it be revoked. As a result, attempting to admit a photocopy of a will to probate can be a costly, time-consuming endeavor, and there are no guarantees as to whether the copy will ultimately be accepted."
https://www.wealthmanagement.com/estate-planning/where-should-clients-keep-estate-planning-documents-