Friday, 23 May 2014

Closet or Cloud, who gets your Stuff?





Today we will talk about a more modern ancestor - YOU !


One day you will be the Ancestor – are you prepared? When my bother learned he was dying he started putting all his affairs in order to make it easy for me, the Executor of his estate.  After making his arrangements, he took me around to meet his banker, his lawyer and the funeral director who would do the cremation and plant a tree in the local Provincial Park in his name. We went through all his papers, the photos and collections in his closet, what his few valuables were, and I had him make a list of things he wanted to go to certain of his friends.


In this technological age, you don’t only have to worry about the stuff in your closet, but also the stuff in your CLOUD!! Pass on your passwords!  I started with one simple password that I could remember, then sites started asking for more characters, then add Capitals, now they ask for a symbol – I have to have a file just to keep track of all my passwords!  Besides my photos, creative works, paper work etc, I also have all my Genealogy on my hard drive and online. I don’t want all my hard work to go to waste, so I have to plan now what is going to happen to it. If you have your family tree online, at least once a year, more often preferably, back it up by downloading the gedcom file to store in a safe place.

There are many types of wills, from free to virtual. Some provinces, states and countries recognize different kinds of wills so it’s a good idea to check your area. A Holographic Will is a will that is completely handwritten and does not need witnesses, or a lawyer or notary. A simple, or Statutory Will is one you can buy in a stationary store and fill in the blanks, and must be witnessed.  Now, with new and improved technology you can make a will online.
Imagine... you can make a virtual will for your virtual stuff!  Whodathunk???
  

Relevant Links:

How to Write a Holographic Will (and other types of wills)

Online Wills – UK

US Online Wills by State (check your state laws)

The Digital Beyond (organizing your digital assets)

What are your digital assets worth?

Cutting Probate Costs – Globe and Mail

Estate Law Canada

Wills Online by Yahoo Canada


 

 
 

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