What financial planning should I do to protect my family?

Essential financial planning includes adequate life insurance to replace income and cover debts, emergency savings covering 3-6 months of expenses, retirement planning and superannuation maximisation, debt management and elimination strategy, will and beneficiary designation alignment, clear asset and account documentation, consideration of income protection insurance, estate tax planning when appropriate, and regular financial review adjusting to life changes—creating comprehensive financial protection for family regardless of what happens.

What legal documents do I need?

Most adults should consider a valid will, financial decision-maker appointment, health or medical decision-maker appointment, advance care directions, beneficiary nominations and a practical record of where signed originals are stored. The exact documents and legal requirements depend on where you live and your circumstances.

What legal documents should my parents have and what is my role?

The essential documents are a will, Durable Financial Power of Attorney (POA), Healthcare Power of Attorney/Advance Directive (Living Will), and HIPAA release. Your role is to encourage them to create/update these documents with a qualified elder law attorney, help them gather information, understand their choices for agents (which may or may not be you), and ensure copies are stored safely and shared with relevant parties.

How do I securely share sensitive financial documents with family or advisers?

Use Evaheld's granular sharing controls to give specific people access to specific documents or folders. Set permissions (view-only or download), create temporary access for advisors, and use activity tracking to monitor who accessed what information.

How often should I update my financial and legal document information?

Review and update your Essentials vault annually at minimum, and immediately after major life events like marriage, divorce, births, deaths, home purchases, job changes, or starting or selling a business.

How does Evaheld’s password manager work and is it secure?

A password manager handles credentials; estate planning also needs instructions about digital assets, recovery methods, account ownership and what should happen later. Evaheld connects password information with the broader digital asset and executor handover so credentials are not the only thing a family receives.

What essential documents should I store?

Store your will, financial documents (account details, insurance policies), legal papers (property deeds, power of attorney), identification documents, passwords, important contacts, and any documents your family would need during emergencies or after your death.

How do I create clear instructions for my executor and family?

Use Evaheld's executor guide template to create step-by-step instructions covering what to do immediately after your death, who to contact, where documents are located, how to access accounts, and how to manage your estate.

How do I track all my property and assets?

Create a comprehensive asset inventory in your Essentials vault listing all property, vehicles, investments, valuable collections, business interests, and debts. Include locations, valuations, ownership details, and instructions for each asset.

How do I document my business succession plans?

Document all business ownership details, key operational information, succession wishes, buy-sell agreements, business insurance, key contacts, and detailed instructions for business continuity or wind-down.

What documents should everyone have in place?

Documents include a will specifying asset distribution and guardian appointments, lasting power of attorney for financial decisions, advance healthcare directive or living will for medical preferences, funeral wishes documentation, and digital asset access information—these fundamental documents ensure your wishes are legally binding and your loved ones can act on your behalf during incapacity or after death.

How do I organise important information and documents for my family?

Organise by creating a comprehensive master document listing all accounts, assets, debts, and important information, consolidating legal documents in secure accessible location, documenting passwords and digital access, providing clear instructions about location of everything, creating both digital and physical backup systems, and ensuring trusted family members know where to find information—transforming scattered chaos into organised accessible system loved ones can navigate during crisis.

Estate Planning Essentials | Wills, Documents & Passwords

01 · START WITH THE DOCUMENTS THAT EXPRESS YOUR WISHES

Keep your will and important legal documents clear, current and easy to locate.

Included: online will creation and storage, powers of attorney, guardianship records, trusts, deeds and controlled document access — so trusted people can identify the right version without exposing your whole private Vault.

Create or store your willKeep the document, its signed status and its original location connected to your wider estate plan.

Keep legal records togetherOrganise powers of attorney, guardianship documents, deeds, trusts and supporting records in one clear place.

Review when life changesUpdate your records after a move, marriage, separation, new child, changed assets or a new executor.

Evaheld Estate Planning iPad dashboard with will and legal document records — Actual Evaheld dashboardActual dashboard view

Create or store your willKeep the document, its signed status and its original location connected to your wider estate plan.

Keep legal records togetherOrganise powers of attorney, guardianship documents, deeds, trusts and supporting records in one clear place.

Review when life changesUpdate your records after a move, marriage, separation, new child, changed assets or a new executor.

02 · MAKE THE FINANCIAL AND DIGITAL PICTURE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND

Bring your accounts, assets and digital life into one clear estate map.

Included: property, bank accounts, investments, superannuation, insurance, debts, online accounts, recovery context, digital assets, subscriptions and devices — protected with the context trusted people may need.

Map what you own

Record property, vehicles, investments, valuables, business interests and the documents that support them.

Connect financial details

Keep bank accounts, superannuation, insurance, benefits, liabilities and key policy information together.

Passwords & recovery

Record secure access guidance, recovery routes and the context a trusted person may need without putting passwords in a public will.

Accounts & digital assets

Organise email, cloud storage, social accounts, domains, subscriptions, wallets and other online property.

Devices & household essentials

Keep device, utility, recurring-payment and document-location details easier to find when someone needs to act.

Privacy & permissions

Decide exactly which details each trusted person can access, and when.

Add the people behind the records

Link your accountant, adviser, insurer, solicitor and other professionals to the areas they help manage.

Map what you ownRecord property, vehicles, investments, valuables, business interests and the documents that support them.

Connect financial detailsKeep bank accounts, superannuation, insurance, benefits, liabilities and key policy information together.

Passwords & recoveryRecord secure access guidance, recovery routes and the context a trusted person may need without putting passwords in a public will.

Accounts & digital assetsOrganise email, cloud storage, social accounts, domains, subscriptions, wallets and other online property.

Devices & household essentialsKeep device, utility, recurring-payment and document-location details easier to find when someone needs to act.

Privacy & permissionsDecide exactly which details each trusted person can access, and when.

Add the people behind the recordsLink your accountant, adviser, insurer, solicitor and other professionals to the areas they help manage.

Evaheld Estate Planning iPad dashboard — Actual Evaheld dashboardActual dashboard view

Map what you ownRecord property, vehicles, investments, valuables, business interests and the documents that support them.

Connect financial detailsKeep bank accounts, superannuation, insurance, benefits, liabilities and key policy information together.

Passwords & recoveryRecord secure access guidance, recovery routes and the context a trusted person may need without putting passwords in a public will.

Accounts & digital assetsOrganise email, cloud storage, social accounts, domains, subscriptions, wallets and other online property.

Devices & household essentialsKeep device, utility, recurring-payment and document-location details easier to find when someone needs to act.

Privacy & permissionsDecide exactly which details each trusted person can access, and when.

Add the people behind the recordsLink your accountant, adviser, insurer, solicitor and other professionals to the areas they help manage.

04 · ONE ESTATE AND CARE RECORD, WITHOUT THE SEARCH

One connected place for the records families usually have to hunt down.

Included: the estate records your executor may need and the care information people may need while you are alive — from wills, assets and account access to directives, decision-makers and QR emergency details.

Will, legal documents & original locations

Keep the current will, powers of attorney, guardianship records, deeds, trusts and the location of signed originals connected.

Financial records, assets & liabilities

Bring together property, vehicles, bank accounts, investments, superannuation, insurance, benefits, business interests, debts and supporting records.

Digital accounts & access instructions

Organise online accounts, recovery context, subscriptions, devices, digital assets and careful password-manager guidance.

Trusted people, executor & advisers

Connect executors, family, solicitors, accountants, advisers and the role each person has in the plan.

Advance care directive & treatment wishes

Create or store directive records, document care preferences and keep relevant jurisdictional forms with the wider plan.

Decision-makers & legal appointments

Record healthcare proxies, guardians, attorneys and the people trusted to act if you cannot.

Critical health details

Keep selected medications, allergies, medical conditions, health records and emergency contacts clear and current.

QR Emergency Access Card

Choose the urgent details that can be made easier to find in an emergency, without opening your full private Vault.

Will, legal documents & original locationsKeep the current will, powers of attorney, guardianship records, deeds, trusts and the location of signed originals connected.

Financial records, assets & liabilitiesBring together property, vehicles, bank accounts, investments, superannuation, insurance, benefits, business interests, debts and supporting records.

Digital accounts & access instructionsOrganise online accounts, recovery context, subscriptions, devices, digital assets and careful password-manager guidance.

Trusted people, executor & advisersConnect executors, family, solicitors, accountants, advisers and the role each person has in the plan.

Advance care directive & treatment wishesCreate or store directive records, document care preferences and keep relevant jurisdictional forms with the wider plan.

Decision-makers & legal appointmentsRecord healthcare proxies, guardians, attorneys and the people trusted to act if you cannot.

Critical health detailsKeep selected medications, allergies, medical conditions, health records and emergency contacts clear and current.

QR Emergency Access CardChoose the urgent details that can be made easier to find in an emergency, without opening your full private Vault.