Protect Your Vital Documents

Beyond Batteries Well, it’s official: Hur• If your home is in your ricane season has arrived. trust, you’ll at least need It’s time to buy batteries, a copy of the trust should stock up on bottled water you need to contact your and strategically place homeowner’s insurance those flashlights around the carrier to make a claim. If house. Last year’s season you have to deal with othturned out to be blessedly er financial institutions uneventful, but if you were post-hurricane, many will here the year before that, insist on seeing the origione quiet season is not likenals. Others may be more Joseph S. Karp, ly to make you nonchalant. willing to accept copies of C.E.L.A. The year 2005, with its resigned originals, particulentless storms and endless power outlarly under post-hurricane conditions. ages, is probably seared into your The same is true for medical providers: memory banks forever. some may insist on seeing your origAs you make preparations for posinal health care power of attorney, sible wild weather ahead, you really while others may consider a signed should think beyond batteries. Give copy sufficient for them to take acsome thought to how you’re going to tion. protect your estate planning docu• Just as those batteries should be ments and other essential documents. fresh, so should your documents. Is There are no hard and fast rules and your power of attorney updated? Does common sense should prevail. The it appoint someone to manage your general idea is to keep the items you affairs who is still willing, able and need safe yet handy. Here are some ready to do the job if need be? Keeptips: ing your documents updated is always • First, your origa good idea, and hurinal documents ricane time is as good Keep the items you should be kept someas any to revisit this place safe. This inneed safe and handy. issue. cludes your will, • Other items you trust, your power of attorney for propshould take with you are copies of erty and your health care power of prescriptions, all your pharmaceutiattorney. If you keep your documents cals, credit cards, register of bank and at home rather than in a safe deposit brokerage accounts, etc. And, of box, make sure you’ve stored them in course, a copy of your homeowner’s a watertight container of some sort. policy...which you won’t need to colIt’s also best to put them in a high lect on if our 2006 luck holds out. place so that water is less likely to deSo let’s all hope for quiet tropical stroy them. You might even want to waters from now till November. But transfer originals to a loved one for just in case, we should all be as presafekeeping. pared as we can be...and think beyond • There’s also the possibility that you batteries. may be forced to leave your house, Joseph S. Karp is a nationally certified and Florida Bar-certified elder law attorney particularly if you live in a flood zone. (C.E.L.A.) specializing in the practice of Trusts, Some people feel more comfortable Estates and Elder Law. His offices are locattaking their originals with them; othed at 2500 Quantum Lakes Drive, Boynton ers prefer to leave them at home. If Beach; 2875 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens; and 1100 SW St. Lucie W. Blvd., Port you do leave your originals at home, St. Lucie. Call him at 561-752-4550 (Boynadvise someone you trust of where ton); 561-625-1100 (Palm Beach Gardens); they are and how to access them. You or 772-343-8411 (Port St. Lucie). Toll-free from anywhere: 800-893-9911. E-mail: KLF@ should certainly take with you a copy Karplaw.com. or website www.karplaw.com of your signed documents.