Estate planning is an overwhelming process to go through while in the midst of the grieving process if an Oregon loved one passes away. Life continues moving on when tragedy strikes, sometimes seemingly without you, and you must continue with the challenging and heartbreaking process of picking up the pieces after they’re gone.
Ensuring that you have all documentation prepared ahead of time avoids being held up in the estate planning process. It’s often helpful to have a simple list of items to accomplish – small achievable goals that make the overall process less daunting. Although it may be small comfort, knowing you’re taking the right steps for your loved one is something to find solace in.
The most crucial records to look for are estate documents such as a will or trust. Without any of these, it’s likely that the process of settling your loved one’s estate will take a substantial amount of time.
You don’t have to go it alone
There’s never any shame in reaching out for help. Handling an estate plan is a huge undertaking even when you’re not dealing with grief at the same time. It’s rarely something that one person can feasibly manage on your own. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to lend a hand when you need it most.
Estate planning checklist
It’s important to first ensure you’ve acquired your loved one’s will, trust, or other estate documents as well as their Social Security card or number. Your checklist for what to look for next includes:
- Account statements
- Real estate deeds and titles
- Lease agreements
- Car titles
- Keys to property and storage units
- Records of all accounts
- Credit card statements
- Bills
- Social media account information
The most important step is to ensure you have all the necessary documents. Depending on how extensive and organized your loved one’s records are, this may either be a quick and easy job or one that takes an extensive amount of time pouring tediously over extensive records.
