Just in Case

If something happened to you tomorrow, would your family know where everything is?

Just in Case is a checklist of what they'd need: who to call, where the will is, which banks, which bills. Fill in the essentials in about 15 minutes, print it, and put it somewhere safe.

Free, from Apps for Humanity. A checklist, not legal advice. Vote for a phone app

Save and print

  1. Save the PDF. It's your file. Keep it on your computer or phone, and open it here next time to update it. Nothing is kept in this browser.
  2. Print it. Every page shows the date it was printed, and a code that can restore your file from paper.
  3. Put the printout somewhere safe. An envelope marked “Just in Case” with your important papers works well. Tell one person where it is.

Give a locked copy to someone you trust

A file only they can open, with a passphrase you give them separately, for example in your sealed envelope. Unlike the printout, it can be opened here to see and update everything.

A short sentence is easiest to remember and hardest to guess. If it's lost, the locked copy can't be opened by anyone, including us.

A checklist, not legal advice. Free, from Apps for Humanity. Vote for a phone app

Restore from printed pages

Every printed page has a code in its bottom corner. Photograph each page, one page per photo, flat and in good light. You can add photos a few at a time.

Only typed answers come back. If you wrote changes on the paper, type them in afterwards.

Open a locked copy