How to Get Your Affairs in Order

December 2024

Most of us are familiar with the idea of getting our affairs in order, though we generally think of this as something that is done right at the end of someone’s life. Indeed, the term is often used as a euphemism for someone being told that an illness has progressed to a terminal stage.

However, we think getting your affairs in order is something that you can – and even should – do at any age. After all, not everyone gets notice that they don’t have much time left. And even if you do: would you really want to spend your last weeks or months getting on top of administrative tasks?

But what does getting your affairs in order really mean?

As specialist probate solicitors, we consider getting your affairs in order to mean taking steps to make things as easy as possible for your personal representatives if and when the time comes.

It may not be possible to make the task of winding up your estate completely straightforward, but there are certainly things you can do to make it significantly more manageable.

If you’re keen to order your affairs and financial interests in a way that would make things as easy as possible for those you leave behind, there’s no better time than now to do so. With luck, your preparations will not become necessary for a long time to come. However, you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that everything is in place should the unexpected happen.

What steps should you take?

Ensure you have a valid, up to date Will in place.

Making a valid will is one hundred percent the most impactful thing you can do to make things manageable for your loved ones after your death. Not only does a Will ensure that those closest to you are able to carry out your wishes, it will also cut down on the paperwork they have to do.

Even if you have made a Will in the past, it’s important to revisit this every few years to ensure it still reflects your wishes. You will also need to make sure that nothing has occurred that will have made your Will – or parts of your Will – invalid.

If you own any international assets, such as overseas property, this can add a lot of complication to the probate process. You will need to seek specialist advice on how to account for these in your Will.

Start a document or notebook to record information about your finances.

This should include information about where you hold financial accounts (including account numbers), any credit cards you have and any other loans you have outstanding. It’s also sensible to keep a note here of which utility companies you use. This will make it easier for your personal representatives to locate and contact all potential creditors.

However, you should not leave PIN numbers or passwords for any online banking accounts for which you are the sole owner. This is because it is illegal for anyone (including personal representatives) to access these after your death. Instead, they will need to contact the banks in question in order to be granted access for probate.

Gather key documents together and ensure all paperwork is easy to find.

It’s important to make sure your personal representatives would be able to easily get their hands on key documents and paperwork, such as:

• Your birth certificate.
• Your passport.
• Any property deeds.
• Your national insurance number.
• Documentation about pension plans.
• Documentation about insurance policies.
• Recent bank statements.
• Copies of your Will.

We’d recommend keeping these documents together in a safe place. A clear filing system can also be very helpful, as this will enable your personal representatives to sort through paperwork when the time comes.

Create a personal asset log for online accounts

Many people don’t think about how extensive their online accounts are, and what might happen to these after their death. We recommend that everyone creates a list of their digital accounts, such as email accounts, social media accounts and loyalty cards, along with log in details. You should also leave a note of what you would wish to happen to these accounts. For example, would you want your social media accounts to be deleted or to be memorialised?

Put together written requests for your funeral

If you have any specific wishes for you funeral – including whether you would prefer to be buried or cremated – it’s advisable to make sure they are recorded in writing. We’d also advise leaving these other key documents to be found in the event of your death. If you have a prepaid funeral plan or burial plot, this documentation should be clearly labelled, too.

Speak to your family about your wishes for your estate.

After ensuring you have a valid, up-to-date Will, we think the next most important thing you can do is to talk to your family about any preparations you have made. This is important whether or not you’ve made decisions that members of your family might not agree with. Even if you believe you have set things up in a very straight-forward way, discussing your wishes in advance will ensure that there are no surprises. This will also allow you to talk to your personal representatives about what will be expected of them and where they will find the information they’ll need to carry out their role.

Making plans for serious illness

When people talk about getting their affairs in order, this often only concerns what might happen after their death. However, we think this kind of planning should also encompass plans for serious illness, especially if it might impact on whether you are able to continue to make decisions for yourself.

If you were to experience an accident or illness that required you to go on life support, or if you were to develop a condition such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, you and those around you would benefit from legal plans you had made in advance.

As part of your preparations for the future, we would recommend considering writing a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). You may also wish to think about whether you would benefit from an advanced statement or advanced decision.

If you have any questions regarding the suggestions in this post, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.