It is an uncomfortable question, so most of us never ask it: if something happened to me tomorrow, could my family cope? Not emotionally, that is a different thing, but practically. Could they pay the bills, find the documents, know my wishes, get into what they needed? For most households the honest answer is “not easily”. This checklist is how you change that, calmly, without it taking over your life.
Access: could they get in?
Start here, because everything else depends on it.
- Could someone reach your main email, which resets most other accounts?
- Could your partner or a trusted person pay the mortgage and essential bills?
- Are your logins in a password manager with emergency access set up?
If the answer to these is no, this is the most valuable place to begin.
The map: could they find things?
- Is there a clear list of your accounts, insurance and providers?
- Do they know where the important documents are: will, passports, policies, deeds?
- Would they know who to contact: family, your GP, any advisers?
Your family should not have to be detectives on the worst day of their lives.
The wishes: would they know what you wanted?
- Is there a will, and do they know where it is?
- Is there a lasting power of attorney?
- Have you noted any care or medical wishes, and what should happen to your digital accounts?
If any of these do not exist yet, write that down as the next job. Naming the gap is progress.
The one step people skip
Tell someone. A perfect plan nobody knows about is no plan at all. Make sure at least one trusted person knows this exists and how to reach it. That single step is what turns your effort into something your family could actually use.
Where FamilySafe fits
This checklist is exactly the problem FamilySafe was built to solve: your access, documents and wishes in one place, shared with the right people on your terms, so if the worst happened tomorrow, your family would find not chaos but a clear path. Your life, organised, and your family, ready.
Download the free checklist and work through it at your own pace.
Frequently asked questions
What is the single most important thing?
Access to your main email, because it resets most other accounts, and making sure a trusted person knows your plan exists.
Do I need a will and a lasting power of attorney for this?
They are important parts of the picture. If you do not have them yet, note them as the next steps; the rest of the checklist is still worth doing now.
How long does this take?
The first, most valuable pass takes about an hour. You can deepen it over time, but even the basics put your family far ahead.
