With wildfires raging throughout California, some people are asking the important question about what happens if their belongings, including their crucial estate planning documents, are consumed in fires.

Doing your due diligence and meeting with an estate planning lawyer to articulate a plan might lead you think you’re covered- but when the unthinkable happens and most of your belongings are destroyed in a flood, fire, or some other incident, what does that mean for those original documents you maintained? Are they still valid? What do you have to do to ensure you’re covered?

An original will is needed to start probate. It can be challenging to start the legal procedures after someone passes away without the original will. While the terms of a missing will could be discovered, like through a duplicated original or a copy, this is not always possible. This also presumes that the last will created by the testator was the one that was destroyed.

This highlights why the preservation of the original will is so critical. Having the original in a safe deposit box at a bank when another person has access as well is a good plan. A copy of the will should be left in the safe deposit box if the original is removed.

Having a firesafe box is another way to ensure that at least your original materials are kept protected, but you may want to consider options outside of your home as well, like the safe deposit box.

The right lawyer can help you plan ahead for your needs by looking to the future and determining good storage options when you need it most. Talk to a Pasadena estate planning attorney today to get a better grasp on your future.

 

 

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