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3 things to share with your personal representative

On Behalf of | Feb 23, 2023 | Estate Planning |

When you appoint someone to be your personal representative in Florida, you place a good deal of trust in this individual. It requires a high degree of attention and responsibility to serve as someone’s personal representative, and the moves this person makes while acting in this role have far-reaching implications.

AARP recommends making sure your representative has access to certain information to make his or her job easier. When you name someone your personal representative, make sure he or she knows the following three things.

1. Where to find your original will

Your personal representative should be able to get his or her hands on the original copy of your will. If you left it in a safe in your home, make sure your representative knows how to access it. If you stored your original will electronically, then make sure he or she knows how to view it.

2. How to get into your accounts

You also need to ensure your personal representative knows how to access your online accounts and has the passwords or questions and answers necessary for doing so. If you do not want your personal representative having this access during your lifetime, consider giving your private information to someone else you trust and then have that party pass it along.

3. Where to find anything you want hidden

You may have matters or possessions you do not want to become public after your death. In this scenario, you may want to give your representative instructions on how to handle them once you die.

The more your personal representative knows about your estate and wishes, the easier his or her job is going to be.