How can you manage your personal affairs after death digitally?
22nd May 2013 : By Tarryn Rothstein
The process of dealing with a loved one's estate is difficult and complicated, legally, practically and emotionally. Today we are pleased to welcome guest contributor Tarryn Rothstein from www.arrangingyouraffairs.co.uk Tarryn shares with us, about how her sister's tragic death spurred her to create a service that helps people prepare for just this eventuality...
My name is Tarryn Rothstein, on the 10th August 2011 my world changed forever. Why - because my younger sister Serena died. The circumstances were tragic - but for those of you reading this not important. What is important is what happened afterwards that left me and my family at a complete loss.
Serena was a lady with a large estate. Some were assets and some liabilities.
The overwhelming problem was my family and I had no idea where to start, where to go to and try and unravel the mountains of paperwork that she had left behind.
There were so many unanswered questions: Where were the deeds to her house, how much did she owe on credit cards, did she own her own car, who did Serena bank with...? And so many more unanswered questions.
So began the arduous task of unraveling everything. This whole process took over a year. It was a long drawn out process which we are still unraveling to this day coupled with the mounting cost of thousands of pounds in solicitor’s fees.
During the process I began to wonder if there was a simple way that a person could leave their loved ones with all of this information prior to death. As no-one knows when our final day will come, I began to believe that this process is absolutely necessary for each and every one of us.
Market research was done and it became apparent that there was nothing available to help people who were in the same situation as me. How can we unravel the estate and finances of the deceased with ease and simplicity?
So www.arrangingyouraffairs.co.uk was born. My business partner and I began the task of creating P.A.D (personal affairs document). Over 12 months of planning, design and online security were built. The result is fantastic and the P.A.D was ready.
Arranging your Affairs - PAD
Simply put we now have three versions that can be bought.
We have made P.A.D™ is easy and simple to complete. It is a published application which is available online or as a download. All you need to do is complete the relevant sections; Personal Information; Funeral Arrangements; Work and Bank Details; Professional Advisors; Pensions & Life Insurance; Property / Utilities; Vehicle & Finance; Liabilities and Assets.
P.A.D™ Gold Version is £3.99; it allows you to update your details online for up to 28 days then prompts you to download it to your local device. This version is for those who wish to keep their Personal Affairs on their local computer and NOT to have the details on line.
P.A.D™ Platinum Yearly is £6.99 per annum, it allows you continuous ONLINE access to your P.A.D and has the added benefit of allowing you to nominate two people of your choice to access the P.A.D when you pass away. This version requires you to pay £6.99 per year to continue having your P.A.D details saved securely on line.
P.A.D™ Platinum Lifetime is £69.99 and is a one off payment. All the other benefits are the same as the Platinum yearly version, with the added bonus of never having to pay another penny.
For more details package definitions please click here.
The response to the creation of P.A.D™ P.A.D has been overwhelming. From all corners of the earth we have had people contacting us explaining that this has been a wonderful piece of digital creation.
So much so that we felt it necessary to create both an Apple and Android App.
I believe it is the life experiences we go through that make us stronger. Their can be a silver lining to each of our life experiences.
If only the P.A.D had been around so it may have helped me with my sister's death.
To be able to help people in their hour of need brings me and the team at www.arrangingyouraffairs.co.uk such pleasure. We are here to help!
Thinking about what happens after you or your loved ones die isn't fun, but it's important not to stick your head in the sand. Plan today for your own peace of mind and the sake of friends and family.
22nd May 2013 - Jason Cherrington - www.mindatrest.co.uk said:
"The Personal Affairs Document (Pad) is the finishing touch you can add to ensure the execution of your Will is carried out as quickly and as smoothly as possible, saving your executors from sifting through piles of paperwork and ensuring your loved ones are attended to as swiftly and calmly as possible. We offer this service to all our clients and work hand in hand with Tarryn to provide support to clients when completing their pad."
Find more information on Mind at Rest Wills Your P. A .D™ Section of our website.