See the New York Times today for an article titled There’s More to Estate Planning Than the Will. It is an excellent article and well worth the read. I agree with the conclusion that documents are not enough. While it is truly a gift to your family and loved ones to have all of your documents in place and up to date, the gift of well organized affairs — paperwork, passwords, records all in one place and organized — cannot be overstated. I have seen firsthand the relief and deep appreciation of surviving family members when their deceased loved one has left everything “all in order.” It is a true gift.
The article describes the book by author Erik A. Dewey. His Big Book of Everything can be downloaded for free here. What a nice gift! His form, or a similar one, could be a good place to start — in addition to estate planning documents — to “get your affairs in order.”