10 Things Your Family Needs to Know If Something Happens to You
A simple checklist to help you get the right information organized before it is needed.
Most people don't realize how much critical information they are holding in their head until someone else urgently needs it.
Where documents are kept. How to access accounts. Who to call first. What you would want.
If something happened to you tomorrow, would your family know where to start?
For most families, the honest answer is no. Not because they don't care, but because no one has sat down and organized it. It stays on the list. Something to get to eventually.
This post is a starting point. It covers the 10 most important things your family would need to know, and what to do about each one.
1. Where your important documents are
Your family needs to know where to find your will, passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, property deeds, and vehicle ownership documents.
If these are stored digitally, note where and how to access them. If they are in a physical location, make sure someone you trust knows exactly where that is.
2. How to access your financial accounts
Bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement funds, and credit cards. Your family does not necessarily need passwords, but they need to know which institutions you bank with, what types of accounts exist, and where login information is stored.
Note any accounts with automatic payments attached. These will need to be cancelled or transferred.
3. Who your key contacts are
Your lawyer, financial advisor, accountant, and executor. These are the people your family would need to contact to manage your affairs.
Make sure someone has their names, phone numbers, and email addresses. Do not assume your family knows who these people are.
4. What insurance policies you have
Life insurance, health insurance, home or tenant insurance, auto insurance, and any other policies. For each one, your family needs the provider name, policy number, and how to make a claim.
This is also a good time to confirm that your beneficiaries are up to date.
5. Who has legal authority to act on your behalf
Your executor manages your estate after you pass. Your power of attorney acts on your behalf if you are incapacitated. Your family needs to know who these people are and where the relevant documents are stored.
If you do not have these documents in place, this is worth prioritizing.
6. How to access your digital accounts and devices
Email, social media, subscriptions, streaming services, and devices. You do not need to share your passwords here, but note where passwords are stored and how to access them.
Consider setting up a digital legacy contact. Both Apple and Google offer this option in your account settings. It allows a trusted person to access your account if something happens to you.
7. What your employment and benefit details are
Your current employer, HR contact, pension or retirement plan, and any benefits that would need to be claimed or cancelled.
Include any government benefits you receive, such as CPP, OAS, or disability benefits. Your family may be entitled to survivor benefits they would not know to apply for.
8. What home services and subscriptions you have
Utilities, internet, phone, and any recurring payments or subscriptions. Your family needs to know what exists so nothing is missed, and nothing continues being charged that no longer needs to be.
9. Your key medical information
Your family doctor, any specialists, current medications, and any medical conditions that are relevant. Include health card numbers and where medical records are stored.
If you have medical equipment on loan or rental, include those details too.
10. Your final wishes and personal notes
Funeral or burial preferences, religious or cultural wishes, and anything else you want your family to know. This is also a place to leave messages, memories, or guidance for the people you love.
This section matters more than most people expect. When families are grieving, having a clear sense of what you wanted removes an enormous amount of guesswork and conflict.
Where to start
You do not need to complete all of this at once.
Pick one section. Spend 20 minutes on it. Then come back to the next one when you are ready.
The goal is not perfect organization. The goal is making sure the right information is available when it matters.
A small step now can save your family a lot of stress later.
Get the free checklist
We have put together a free one-page checklist covering all 10 items above. Print it out, work through it at your own pace, and keep it somewhere your family can find it.
[Download the free checklist here]
Want to go further?
The Clarity File is a guided family emergency organizer that walks you through every item on this list in a clear, structured format. It comes as both a printable PDF and an Excel spreadsheet. One purchase includes both formats.
Calm is something you can create. Preparedness is something you can learn.
