Amy on Organizing Records

Over the holiday weekend I managed to catch a home & garden television show about celebrity Candy Spelling’s 56,500 sq. ft .manor house and her subsequent downsize to a condo the size of her former attic. Candy was married to television producer Aaron Spelling until his death in 2006. Mind you most of us have about 1,800 sq. ft. and downsize to 1,000 sq. ft., but the issues are still the same. I was amazed at how organized Candy is with all her stuff, from doll collections to Christmas decorations. Everything had a code and a place. When it came time for her to move, in less than 30 days, she was able to get it done without a single hair out of place. 

That’s where we need to be in our paperwork lives. Everyone should have all of their important documents from wills to bills organized and easy to find for those of us that get left behind to handle the details. My father had dementia the last 5 years of his life and kept horrible records but I was blessed to have a good friend of his who was also an attorney handle all of it for me. I hate to think where I would be if he hadn’t stepped in and helped me. He also took it upon himself at that time to organize my mother’s documents. How was I supposed to know that you would need a certificate to bury someone or have the forethought to keep cash aside in my name to pay for immediate expenses after death? 

The other point to make with this blog is that both Candy and I paid someone to help get things organized. Most of us are not organizationally minded or have the time so paying someone to help is well worth the time and expense. Here’s to a year of organized paperwork in 2012.

Guest Blogger Samantha Young, Experienced Executrix & Regional Manager for Nurses Unlimited