What a Mess!

“What a mess” Susie kept saying when we were talking about the chaos she found after her sister’s death.  Important papers all over the house, unpaid bills, unopened mail stacked in piles on the dining room table.  Kathleen, single, aged 60 and living with mom, had been ill for many years but she seemed to be managing.  Then one day she died in her sleep.  Kathleen was divorced with one grown son.  She was also a loaner and even though she was living with mom, Kathleen kept to herself. 

Mom, 90, struggles to get through the day- physically and emotionally. 

So Susie is left with the responsibility of cleaning up the mess.  She knew there had been a will but had no idea where it was or who the lawyer was.  She called the ex-husband and fortunately, he had a copy.  The funeral home needed the social security number; Susie couldn’t find it.  Mom thought she knew it however she provided an incorrect number which was not discovered until 2 months later when social security denied the burial benefit. 

Though there were no assets to speak of, the hassle of going through bags and bags of mail, contacting people who were owed money and shutting down bank accounts was very stressful.   The aggravation would have been mitigated if Kathleen had taken the responsibility of putting all her important papers in one spot and letting her sister know which box contained crucial information.

It’s been almost a year since Kathleen died and finally all the paperwork has been completed.  A harsh lesson for Susie who is now in the process of getting her own information together so that her husband and children will not have to deal with “a mess”.

If you have not completed the Vital Information Form because you do not have a will, financial power of attorney or health care power of attorney, start today.  Talk to your friends about an attorney or go on line to find forms for these documents.  Make an appointment with yourself to do this.

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