Your life information documents.

When someone dies it can be very difficult for their family/whānau to find all the documents they need to settle the deceased's affairs.

Sound Advice about what life information and instructions you need, and where to store these safely so they are accessible to the right people when you die or are no longer able to control your own personal and/or business affairs. 

What documents are required and where can you store them safely and access them easily to amend as required?

Where do I start, what is required, who do I need to tell, etc etc - so many questions.

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) have the answers, all free of charge and written in lay persons language, below is a sample of the information they provide.

Also, here is a link to a TV Seven Sharp interview with Melissa Davies who has set up Holdmine, a secure website that guides you through what is required and provides a secure site to store it.

Melissa was 35 years old when her father died, she was Executor of his estate. She was not prepared for the responsibilities of that role, she did not know what documentation about her father she had to gather, then what she needed to do with each piece of information to ‘fully put her father to rest’.    - Melissa's special mission to help others navigate through grief       

That experience led Melissa to set up Holdmine to enable people while they are still well to gather, securely store, and amend as required, the required personal information and instructions for the people they name: to have access when they die or are no longer able to control their personal and/or business affairs.

There are various sections within Holdmine, you can save copies of documents or other details in there and give the people you choose to have access to your specific documents / notes / instructions.

General info here: https://www.holdmine.com/

Your Life Information Documents – Where to store them 

Store your important documents and information somewhere safe and tell people you trust where they are (e.g. a key family/whānau member and/or a close friend).

You could arrange to store the documents and other important information:

• With a lawyer.
• At a secure document storage facility such as Holdmine (see above).
• In a safe place in your house.
• With your Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs are required for protection and promotion of your personal health and welfare and property rights when you are not fully able to manage these. NZ Law describes this in ‘Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act, 1988’). 
• With someone you trust: in your family/whānau and/or a friend.
• Or you can record online where the documents are, as well as other important information. You can do this on the Department of Internal Affairs' Te Hokinga ā Wairua End of Life Services website:  https://endoflife.services.govt.nz/create-my-plan#phase-582

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) Advice

Here is a sample of the life information and instructions required when you die or are no longer able to control your own personal health and welfare and/or property matters. Find the following and more on the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) website, or phone, or visit your local branch.   

Instruction Documents  

• Instructions about writing your Will - how can I ensure that my possessions and property will be passed on to the right people after my death, for advice visit Citizens Advice Bureau website  https://www.cab.org.nz/article/KB00000839
• The Citizens Advice Bureau website above advises the ways to provide instructions about how you want your personal belongings to be distributed, that are not covered in your will. 

Information about your birth

• Your birth certificate. See: https://www.cab.org.nz/article/KB00000701

What needs to be done after a family/whānau member dies 

• Things that must be done in the first few days after someone dies. See: https://www.cab.org.nz/article/KB00000594

Information about your death

• Information your next-of-kin will need if they need to register your death (for example, they will need your full name and your parents’ full names). To access this website page, type into the search bar, Citizens Advice Bureau NZ, then click on, Citizens Advice Bureau NZ, then type in, Article KB00000627, then click on, How do I register a death?

Details of what you own

Make sure your next-of-kin knows where to find:

• Details of all your property and investments and who to contact about them. 
• Any land titles and mortgage agreements for your home or other property you own.
• Your life and other insurance policies.
• A list of the organisations and key people (and their contact details) to notify if you are no longer able to conduct your own business matters or if you die.

A record of what you want for your funeral (and after the funeral)

Prepare a document outlining your wishes relating to funeral arrangements, for example:

• Whether you have a funeral pre-payment plan, to pay for the funeral costs.
• Leave clear instructions about whether you want to be buried or cremated. For the legal requirements about burial and cremation. See: https://www.cab.org.nz/article/KB00000626
• If your body is to be donated to science (see below).
• The type of funeral service you want / don’t want. Detail the readings, music, photos to be displayed, etc you want / don’t want.  
• Letters to individuals, or a recorded message for the funeral.
• People you want notified of your death and invited to your funeral, provide their contact details. 
• For more information about planning your funeral. See: https://www.cab.org.nz/article/KB00000621

Ensure your family/whānau know you have donated your body to science

Your family/whānau will not be able to arrange a funeral if you arranged to donate your body - or a part of it - to science. See: https://www.cab.org.nz/article/KB00000565

Other important information to leave your family/whānau

Other information your family/whānau require details of:

• Passwords required to close accounts.
• Banks to be notified.  
• Any subscription and online ‘media’ you have that need to be closed when you die - for example, email accounts, social media accounts, shop mailing lists, etc.
• Other documents that are important to your family/whānau. This might include:
  • the original manuscript of a book you have written.
  • music you have written.
  • research you have done on your family history.
  • A family/whānau secret you want revealed on your death.
  • Etc.

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In summary:  Ensuring your documents that matter can be found when you are no longer able to give the instructions of their whereabouts.

These include critical financial documents, account information and passwords, as well as key estate planning documents such as your will, enduring powers of attorney, any life insurance policies, etc.

Free of charge services that can assist your understanding of any of the above information:

• Citizens Advice Bureau – phone or visit your local branch.
• Seniorline:
  • to access this website type into the search bar, seniorline NZ, then click on, Services for older people – Healthline, then enjoy searching through all the valuable information on that website.
  • if you still have questions phone Seniorline 0800 725 463 (Monday to Friday 8am – 4pm)
  • or email: seniorline@adhb.govt.nz

 

 

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Published:  November 2024

To be reviewed: October 2027