Five months ago, the unthinkable happened and just one aspect which isn’t even the most important, began to play out.
My email box and later – my time got filled with words like:
– death, passing
– coroner
– enquiry
– condolence
– estate cleaner
– senior next of kin
– stroke, funeral, cremation
– death certificate
– will, estate, probate, letters of administration
– shares, brokers, banks
– accountant, accountant, accountant
– lawyers, financial advisors, settlement agents
– did I say accountant?
– witnessed signatures, Justice of the Peace
– binding death agreement
– plaque, place, memorial
– power of attorney
– forms and phone numbers around and around the mulberry bush.
Also
– incredibly compassionate professional people at every turn with only a couple of major clangers like
– an ambulance bill for over $1133.00 for help on the day it happened. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! What else are people meant to do!!! A phone call and “Oh we’ve written that one off, I don’t know why that was sent out”
Anyway – I said this was a practical post although I’ve become accustomed to saying horrific things when in business mode…
Practical.
– Have you written a will?
– Who do you want to care for your kids if you can’t?
– Have you written out or simply TOLD somebody what your wishes are?
– Do you know that Super is treated separately to a will and needs separate information at the ready? (Binding Death Agreement through your Superannuation fund)
– Do you know that a tax return is still due for the year in which someone dies? Say what!
– Have you made a power of attorney?
– Other stuff?
Having fallen headlong into the needs and discoveries of importance to all of these… here are some free ways of going about a few things.
Last on my own to-do list is a free workshop (with a few spaces left next week) to learn about End of Life Directives. That’s a 19 pager help session which will raise what our values are when the chips are fully down – before they’re needed. My cousin-in-law is one of the presenters.
Link 1 – Workshop on Advanced Health Directive
Link 2 – Free will making resource online (yes its legal)