Putting your affairs in order

"Putting your affairs in order" is one of those phrases that can sound a little daunting, but it really just means getting things organised, so that your wishes are clear and your loved ones are not left struggling to piece everything together. Far from being morbid, it is a genuine kindness, and most people feel a real sense of relief once it is done. You do not have to tackle it all at once. This page is a gentle guide to the main things worth sorting out, with links to our more detailed guides along the way.

Make a will

Perhaps the most important step is making a will, so that what you leave behind goes to the people and causes you choose, rather than being decided by law. Our guide on making a will explains how to go about it, and how to keep the cost down.

Set up a Lasting Power of Attorney

It is also wise to appoint someone you trust to make decisions for you if a time ever came when you could not, whether about your money or your care. This is done through a Lasting Power of Attorney, and our separate guide explains the two types and how to set one up.

Think about your wishes for care

You may want to record your wishes about your future health and care, including any treatments you would or would not want, so that they are known if you ever became unable to say so yourself. Our guide on end of life and palliative care covers planning ahead in this gentle way.

Note down your funeral wishes

Letting your family know your funeral wishes, whether you would prefer a burial or a cremation, the kind of service you would like, or a favourite hymn or reading, can be a real comfort to them later on. If you have taken out a prepaid funeral plan, do make a note of that too. Our guide on bereavement and funeral costs has more. You might also want to record whether you wish to be an organ donor, and to tell your family, so that your wishes are understood and respected.

Get your important papers together

One of the most useful things you can do is to bring together, in one place, the information your family would need. A simple folder or notebook does the job nicely. You might include:

• Where your will and any Lasting Power of Attorney are kept.
• Personal documents, such as your birth and marriage certificates, your passport and your National Insurance number.
• Your bank and building society accounts, savings, investments, premium bonds and any pensions.
• Insurance policies, your mortgage or tenancy, and your regular bills and direct debits.
• Your GP, any medicines you take, and any care arrangements you have.
• Useful contacts, such as your solicitor, your executors and your next of kin.

Do remember to keep all of this somewhere safe, and to tell a trusted person where to find it.

Do not forget your digital life

These days, a great deal of life is online, and it helps enormously to leave a note of your important online accounts, such as email, banking and social media, and how to get into them. It is best not to write passwords into your will, which becomes a public document, but to keep them separately, perhaps in a password manager, and to make sure someone you trust knows where to look. This makes it far easier for your family to manage or close your accounts later.

Check your pension nominations

It is worth checking that any pension or life insurance policy has an up-to-date note of who you would like to benefit, often called a nomination or an expression of wish, as these are usually dealt with separately from your will.

Tell the people who matter

None of this is much help if it stays a secret, so do talk to your family and your executors, and let them know your wishes and where everything is kept. These conversations can feel awkward to begin, but they are often a relief on both sides, and they spare a great deal of uncertainty later. And afterwards, the government's Tell Us Once service will let your family report a death to most government departments in one go, which is one less thing for them to worry about at a difficult time.

Keep it up to date

Life changes, so it is worth glancing over everything every year or so, and after any big event such as a marriage, a birth, a death, or a house move. Do bear in mind that getting married automatically cancels an earlier will, so a new one would be needed.

Where to get help, locally and nationally

Close to home, across Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire:

• Derbyshire Law Centre, on 0800 707 6990, for free legal advice if you live in Derbyshire.
• Derbyshire Carers Association, on 01773 833833, which runs a free legal clinic covering wills and powers of attorney.
• Citizens Advice, for free, impartial guidance. For Bolsover and North East Derbyshire, call 0808 250 5702.

Across the country:

• The Office of the Public Guardian, on 0300 456 0300, for powers of attorney.
• The Law Society's Find a Solicitor service, and Solicitors for the Elderly, to find a solicitor near you.
• MoneyHelper, on 0800 138 7777, for free guidance on wills, pensions and planning ahead.