Organizing important paperwork is the first step towards getting your affairs in order.  I pride myself on being organized, and I want to pass on some of the wisdom I have acquired during my many years of practicing law.  It may seem like a daunting task to get your affairs in order and papers organized, but if you follow these simple steps you will find the process can be easy and pain-free.  Here are ten steps you may consider for organizing your important papers and make sure everything goes smoothly if something happens to you:

1—Find all of your original estate planning documents (Wills, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, Trusts, Life Insurance Policies) and make a listing of those documents.  On the list make a note of where you keep your originals and where you keep your copies.

2—Make a list of your assets (real estate, investments, bank accounts, investment accounts, long-term care insurance, retirement plans, life insurance, and any high-value personal property, jewelry, artwork, family heirlooms, and automobiles).

            All our lives have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  For many of us, it has put us in touch with our own mortality, and we realize how a serious illness or death can affect our loved ones, even beyond the tremendous emotional toll.  Who do we want to make our healthcare decisions if we are incapacitated?  What are our wishes for end of life care?  How do we want our estates distributed after our deaths?

Making sure our documents and estate plans are in order may be one way to lessen the stress of this difficult time.   Practicing law during this pandemic has brought its own challenges.  Fortunately, modern technology allows us to continue to work with clients in writing, over the phone, and by video conference calls.  Certainly, such communication methods do not replace the comfortable setting of in-person meetings.  However, creative solutions to the practice of law make working remotely more successful.

One way in which the State of Illinois has helped is that Governor Pritzker recently signed an Executive Order which allows documents to be finalized, witnessed, and notarized by recorded video conference sessions.  There are many specific and technical requirements to ensure that the documents are properly finalized, but at least we have a way to help people finalize their estate plans during this time.   While many things in life must wait, at least we can support our clients during this pandemic with these additional tools.