After a death, relatives often need answers most of all. Where are the insurance papers? Which accounts exist? Who needs to be called? A good overview does not take away their grief, but it prevents them from having to search for important information while so much is already coming at them.
Start with the basics
Record your contact persons, important documents, bank accounts, insurance policies, assets and debts. Add ongoing obligations such as mortgage, rent, subscriptions and loans. Describe where your will or living will can be found and which notary you visited. Do not keep an unsecured password list among papers accessible to everyone.
Record your wishes too
Think of the funeral, personal belongings and digital accounts. An overview of wishes is valuable for your loved ones, but it does not automatically have the same legal effect as a will. If you want to appoint heirs or change the distribution of your estate, discuss this with a notary.
Keep it usable
A file no one can find is of little help. Let a trusted person know where the overview is safely stored and update it after important changes. The Inheritance Guide helps you gather this information step by step and identify missing subjects.
You do not have to arrange everything in one day. Start with the documents relatives will look for first.