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How to create a family handover folder

A family handover folder is one place, on paper, digital or both, that tells the people you love what you have, where it is, who to contact and what you'd want if you were ill or died. It isn't a legal document. It sits alongside your will and powers of attorney and makes them easier to act on. At Your Final Matters in Hertfordshire, I call it your "Everything You Need To Know" folder, and this guide shows you how to build one.

What is a family handover folder?

Think of it as a map. Your will says who gets what. Your lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) say who can make decisions for you. Your handover folder tells your family how to actually find everything, so they aren't left hunting for things during one of the hardest moments of their lives.

When someone dies or becomes seriously ill, it isn't just the grief that hits. It's the paperwork. The passwords. The "where did they keep…?" A good folder can turn weeks of searching into a few phone calls.

Who needs one?

Honestly? Every adult. It's especially important if you:

  • live alone, or your partner doesn't deal with the household admin
  • have children, or care for an ageing parent
  • run your own business or are self-employed
  • have accounts, pensions or savings in several places
  • do most of your life admin online

What to put in your folder: a section-by-section checklist

You don't need every detail on day one. Start with what exists and where it is. Then fill in the gaps one cupboard at a time.

  1. About me. Full name, date of birth, and where your passport, birth and marriage certificates and driving licence are kept. Your National Insurance and NHS numbers, or where to find them.
  2. Key contacts. Next of kin, executors, attorneys, solicitor, accountant, financial adviser, GP, employer, close friends and neighbours.
  3. Legal documents. Where the original will is, any LPAs, and property deeds. Don't keep the originals loose in the folder. Note where they are.
  4. Money. Banks and building societies, savings, investments, Premium Bonds, credit cards and loans. Account names and providers only. Never PINs.
  5. Pensions and insurance. Every pension you've had (workplace, private and State Pension), plus life, home, car and any funeral plan, with policy numbers and who you've nominated. If you've lost track of an old workplace pension, GOV.UK's Pension Tracing Service can help you find the provider's contact details.
  6. Home. Mortgage or tenancy, utilities, council tax, where the stopcock and fuse box are, boiler service details, alarm codes (stored securely), bin days, and who has spare keys.
  7. Bills and subscriptions. Direct debits, standing orders and subscriptions (streaming, magazines, memberships, apps), so they can be stopped.
  8. Digital life. Email, phone, social media, online shopping, photos and cloud storage. Say how someone could get in and what you'd want to happen to each. More on this in Digital legacy and digital assets.
  9. Health and care. Medications, allergies, conditions, and your wishes about future care.
  10. Pets and dependants. Who would care for them, plus vet, insurance and routines.
  11. Wishes. Funeral wishes, music, readings, who to tell, and any personal letters or messages. See Funeral wishes and informed funeral choices.
  12. Business (if you have one). Who should be told, where the key logins and contracts are, and who could keep things ticking over. See Business blind spots for sole traders and microbusinesses.

What not to put in it

  • PINs and passwords on a written list. If the folder is lost or found, everything is exposed. Record how to get into accounts instead, such as a password manager with emergency access.
  • Passwords in your will. Once probate is granted, a will becomes a public document that anyone can order a copy of.
  • Original legal documents. Keep them somewhere safe, and write down where. GOV.UK says a will can be kept at home or stored with a solicitor, a bank, a will storage company or the Probate Service, and that you should tell your executor or a close friend or relative where it is.

Some big tech companies now let you plan ahead. Apple lets you add a Legacy Contact, and Google has an Inactive Account Manager. Noting which ones you've set up is a brilliant addition to the digital section.

Paper, digital or both?

Both works best for most families.

  • Paper: a ring binder with dividers is easy for anyone to pick up and use, including people who aren't confident online.
  • Digital: easier to update, and handy for family who live far away. Keep it in a secure, password-protected place, and make sure someone you trust can get to it.

Whichever you choose, keep it secure and keep it findable. A folder nobody can find is no help at all.

Who should know about it?

Tell at least two trusted people that the folder exists, where it is and how to get to it. Your executors and attorneys are the obvious choices. Walk them through it once. It's a far easier conversation than you'd think, and it often prompts them to start their own.

It also helps practically after a death. GOV.UK's Tell Us Once service lets the family report a death to most government organisations in one go, and the registrar can help with it. Having National Insurance numbers, passport details and benefit information already in the folder makes that much simpler.

A simple plan to build it in four short sessions

You don't need a free week. You need a few focused sessions. Here's how I'd break it up:

  1. Session 1 (30 minutes): the skeleton. Buy a folder and dividers, or create a secure digital folder. Label the sections from the checklist above.
  2. Session 2 (1 hour): the big stuff. Will, LPAs, banks, pensions and insurance. Where they are and who to contact.
  3. Session 3 (1 hour): the house and the bills. Go through a couple of bank statements to catch every direct debit and subscription.
  4. Session 4 (1 hour): the personal bits. Digital life, wishes, pets and contacts. Then tell your two trusted people.

Put the sessions in your diary like any other appointment. If you need a nudge, my guide to Turning good intentions into completed actions can help.

Keep it alive

A folder that's five years out of date can cause almost as much confusion as no folder at all. Review it once a year (I suggest your birthday or the New Year), and update it straight away after big changes: moving house, switching banks, a new grandchild, a divorce, a bereavement or a new diagnosis.

When to see a solicitor or professional

Your handover folder is practical, not legal. It doesn't replace a will or LPAs. Please see a professional if:

  • you don't have a will, or yours is out of date
  • you'd like to make lasting powers of attorney and aren't sure how (GOV.UK and the Office of the Public Guardian are good places to start)
  • your affairs are complicated: a business, property abroad, a blended family or someone who depends on you financially
  • you have questions about pensions, inheritance tax or insurance written in trust (a regulated financial adviser can help)

Frequently asked questions

What is a family handover folder?

It's one place that tells your loved ones what you have, where it is, who to contact and what you'd want. It's practical, not legal, and works alongside your will and LPAs.

Is a handover folder legally binding?

No. It's a guide for your family. Your will and lasting powers of attorney are the legal documents, so make sure those are in place too.

Should I put my passwords in it?

No. Don't write PINs or passwords on a list. Record how someone can get into your accounts instead, for example through a password manager with emergency access.

Where should I keep my handover folder?

Somewhere safe that at least two trusted people know about and can reach. A paper copy and a secure digital copy works well for most families.

How often should I update it?

Once a year, and straight away after big life changes like moving house, changing banks or a bereavement.

Can I put my funeral wishes in my folder?

Yes, and it's a good idea. Funeral wishes generally aren't legally binding in England and Wales, so writing them down and telling your family is what helps them follow your wishes.

Free resource: What to do straight after a death checklist

Once your folder is taking shape, add my free checklist on what to do straight after a death. It gives the people you love a clear, step-by-step plan for the first 24 hours and the first few weeks, right there in the folder when they'll need it most.

Get my free 'What to do straight after a death' checklist →

Also free: Digital House Guide

For the digital section of your folder, my free Digital House Guide gives you 10 simple steps to help protect your digital and online life and keep it safer.

Get my free Digital House Guide →

How Your Final Matters can help

I'm not a solicitor or a financial adviser, and I don't give legal or financial advice. What I do is the practical groundwork: helping you get everything together and think through your decisions, so that when you do see a professional you arrive prepared, not overwhelmed.

Building this folder is exactly what my half-day workshop is about. At Your Final Matters in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, you work through it with me step by step, with a workbook, checklists and trusted free resources. You leave with your own "Everything You Need To Know" folder well underway, rather than another item on your to-do list.

I also run talks for community groups and lunch-and-learn sessions for employers.

See upcoming workshops →Find out more about Your Final Matters →

About the author

Caro Syson, founder, Your Final Matters, Hatfield

Caro Syson is the founder of Your Final Matters, based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. She has spent 35 years in business across financial services, property, software and healthcare, has worked in the NHS and trained as an independent funeral celebrant with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy (AMC). She started Your Final Matters after helping her own mum, now 92, with her later-life planning. Your Final Matters was honoured in the Best New Business category at the Best Business Women Awards. Caro is not a solicitor or financial adviser: she gives practical, non-legal help and points people to the right professional when they need one.

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