How to Organize Important Documents Before You Die: A North Carolina Checklist

The Gift Nobody Talks About

There is a gift you can give the people you love that costs nothing, takes a few hours, and will save them hundreds of hours of anguish after you are gone. It is not a financial inheritance. It is not a heartfelt letter (though that is good too). It is organized documentation.

When someone dies and their executor cannot find the will, does not know which bank accounts exist, cannot locate insurance policies, has no idea about online passwords, and does not know who the accountant or attorney was, every task becomes exponentially harder. What should take a phone call takes weeks of detective work. What should be a straightforward probate becomes a months-long investigation into the deceased’s financial life.

This article is a comprehensive checklist for North Carolina residents who want to organize their important documents before death. It covers what to include, where to store it, who should know about it, and NC-specific considerations that many national guides miss.

If you are reading this as an executor who has already lost someone, this checklist can also serve as a search guide, a list of what to look for and where. For a step-by-step guide to the probate process itself, see our complete guide to probate in North Carolina.

Afterpath’s document vault provides a secure, organized place to store every document your executor will need. Our Pathfinder AI guide can help you understand what documents matter for NC probate, and our task management system helps executors track every document they need to locate. Pre-death organization is the single most impactful thing you can do to simplify your family’s experience after you are gone.

The Master Document Binder: What to Include

Think of this as building a “master binder” that contains or references everything your executor will need. The binder does not need to contain the originals of every document (some should be stored elsewhere), but it should tell your executor exactly what exists and where to find it.

Section 1: Personal Identification and Vital Records

Your executor will need these documents to open the estate, claim benefits, and handle government notifications.

• [ ] Full legal name and any previous names used
• [ ] Date and place of birth
• [ ] Social Security number and card location
• [ ] Driver’s license or state ID number
• [ ] Passport and its location
• [ ] Birth certificate (original or certified copy)
• [ ] Marriage certificate(s) and divorce decree(s)
• [ ] Citizenship or naturalization papers (if applicable)
• [ ] Military discharge papers (DD-214) (if applicable; see our guide to military veteran estate settlement for why this matters)
• [ ] Adoption papers (if applicable)

NC-specific note: North Carolina vital records (birth, death, marriage certificates) can be obtained from the NC Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records Division. Knowing which county to request from speeds the process significantly.

Section 2: Estate Planning Documents

These are the documents that control what happens to your assets and who makes decisions if you are incapacitated.

• [ ] Last Will and Testament (location of the original signed copy)
• [ ] Trust documents (revocable living trust, irrevocable trusts, etc.)
• [ ] Powers of Attorney (financial and healthcare)
• [ ] Living Will / Advance Directive
• [ ] HIPAA authorization forms
• [ ] Beneficiary designation forms (copies from every account)
• [ ] Pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreements
• [ ] Guardianship designations for minor children

Critical NC note: In North Carolina, your original will should be stored somewhere your executor can access it quickly. The original must be filed with the Clerk of Superior Court to open probate. A copy is not sufficient. Many NC attorneys offer to store the original will, which is fine, but your executor must know the attorney’s name and contact information. For a walkthrough of this process, see our guide on how to probate a will in NC.

Do not put your original will in a bank safety deposit box unless your executor is a co-signer on the box. In NC, accessing a deceased person’s safety deposit box requires either court authorization or the presence of a bank officer, which can delay access by days or weeks. If the will is needed to open probate and the will is locked in a box that requires probate to access, you have created a catch-22.

Section 3: Financial Accounts

Your executor needs a complete picture of your financial life. For each account, document:

• Account holder name(s)
• Institution name and contact information
• Account number
• Type of account (checking, savings, CD, money market, etc.)
• Approximate balance or value
• Named beneficiaries (if any)
• Whether the account is individual, joint, POD/TOD

Accounts to document:

• [ ] Checking accounts (all banks)
• [ ] Savings accounts
• [ ] Certificates of deposit (CDs)
• [ ] Money market accounts
• [ ] Brokerage/investment accounts
• [ ] Retirement accounts (401(k), 403(b), IRA, Roth IRA, pension)
• [ ] Health Savings Account (HSA)
• [ ] 529 education savings plans
• [ ] Cryptocurrency accounts (exchanges and wallet locations; see our guide on digital assets in probate)
• [ ] PayPal, Venmo, and other payment service balances
• [ ] Safety deposit boxes (location, box number, key location, co-signers)
• [ ] Cash on hand (approximate amount and location)

NC-specific note: If you have accounts titled as “payable on death” (POD) or “transfer on death” (TOD), these bypass probate and go directly to the named beneficiary. Make sure your beneficiary designations are current and aligned with your overall estate plan. Your executor needs to know these accounts exist even though they do not pass through probate, because they affect the overall estate picture and tax obligations.

Section 4: Insurance Policies

Insurance proceeds are often the most time-sensitive benefits for survivors. Document every policy.

• [ ] Life insurance (company, policy number, face amount, beneficiary, agent contact)
• [ ] Homeowner’s/renter’s insurance
• [ ] Auto insurance
• [ ] Health insurance (including Medicare, Medicaid, or employer plan details)
• [ ] Long-term care insurance
• [ ] Disability insurance
• [ ] Umbrella/liability insurance
• [ ] Veterans benefits (SGLI/VGLI) if applicable

For each life insurance policy, note:

• Insurance company name and phone number
• Policy number
• Face amount (death benefit)
• Named beneficiary and contingent beneficiary
• Type (term, whole life, universal)
• Whether the policy is paid up or premiums are due
• Location of the original policy document

Section 5: Real Estate and Property

For each property you own, document:

• [ ] Property address
• [ ] How title is held (individual, joint tenants with right of survivorship, tenants in common, tenancy by the entirety)
• [ ] Deed location (or county where recorded)
• [ ] Mortgage lender (company, account number, monthly payment, balance)
• [ ] Home equity line of credit (HELOC) if any
• [ ] Property tax information (county, parcel number, annual amount)
• [ ] Homeowner’s insurance details (see insurance section)
• [ ] HOA information (management company, monthly dues, contact)
• [ ] Rental properties (tenant information, lease terms, management company)
• [ ] Vacant land (location, tax parcel number)
• [ ] Timeshares (company, location, contract details)

NC-specific note: North Carolina deeds are recorded with the county Register of Deeds. Your executor needs to know which county each property is in and how title is held. The form of title directly determines whether the property passes through probate. For detailed guidance on handling real property in probate, see our article on selling a house in probate.

Section 6: Vehicles, Boats, and Other Titled Property

• [ ] Vehicles (make, model, year, VIN, title location, loan information)
• [ ] Boats/watercraft (registration, title, storage location)
• [ ] RVs, motorcycles, ATVs
• [ ] Trailers

NC vehicle titles are managed through the NC DMV. Your executor will need the title to transfer or sell vehicles. Note where each title document is stored.

Section 7: Debts and Obligations

Your executor is responsible for paying legitimate debts from estate assets. A complete list prevents surprises and helps the executor pay debts in the correct NC statutory priority order.

• [ ] Mortgage(s) (lender, account number, balance, monthly payment)
• [ ] Car loans (lender, account number, balance)
• [ ] Student loans (servicer, account number, balance; note: federal student loans are discharged at death)
• [ ] Credit cards (issuer, account number, approximate balance)
• [ ] Personal loans (lender, terms, balance)
• [ ] Medical debt (providers, approximate amounts)
• [ ] Tax obligations (any known unpaid taxes, payment plans with IRS or NC DOR)
• [ ] Business debts (if you own a business)
• [ ] Alimony or child support obligations
• [ ] Judgments or liens

Section 8: Income Sources

Document all sources of income so your executor can notify payers and manage the transition:

• [ ] Employer (name, HR contact, any death benefits or life insurance through employer)
• [ ] Social Security (monthly amount, claim number)
• [ ] Pension (payer, monthly amount, survivor benefit election)
• [ ] Military retirement (if applicable)
• [ ] Rental income (properties, tenants, amounts)
• [ ] Business income (company name, partners, operating agreements)
• [ ] Annuity payments
• [ ] Royalties or licensing income
• [ ] Alimony received

Section 9: Digital Accounts and Passwords

This is the section most people skip, and it causes the most problems. Your executor needs access to your digital life. For detailed guidance, see our full article on digital assets in probate.

• [ ] Email accounts (provider, username; email is the key to accessing almost everything else)
• [ ] Password manager (which one, master password or recovery method)
• [ ] Computer and phone passwords/PINs
• [ ] Social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
• [ ] Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud)
• [ ] Online banking credentials (or note that they can be accessed through email recovery)
• [ ] Cryptocurrency wallets (exchange accounts, private keys or seed phrases for self-custody wallets)
• [ ] Domain names and websites (registrar, hosting provider)
• [ ] Subscription services (streaming, software, memberships)
• [ ] Online business accounts (Amazon seller, eBay, Etsy, etc.)
• [ ] Photo storage (Google Photos, iCloud, etc.)

Security note: Consider using a password manager (1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden) and giving your executor access to the master password. Alternatively, store sensitive credentials in a sealed envelope in a secure location that your executor knows about.

Section 10: Professional Contacts

Your executor will need to contact these professionals:

• [ ] Attorney (name, firm, phone, what documents they hold)
• [ ] Accountant/CPA (name, firm, phone)
• [ ] Financial advisor (name, firm, phone)
• [ ] Insurance agent (name, company, phone)
• [ ] Bank contacts (relationship manager names)
• [ ] Business partners (names, contact information)
• [ ] Employer HR department (for benefits, final paycheck, life insurance)

Section 11: Funeral and Burial Wishes

Documenting your wishes in advance eliminates guesswork and conflict for your family.

• [ ] Burial vs. cremation preference
• [ ] Preferred funeral home (if any)
• [ ] Pre-paid funeral or burial plans (company, contract number, what is covered)
• [ ] Cemetery plot (cemetery name, plot location, deed location)
• [ ] Religious or cultural preferences for the service
• [ ] Military funeral honors (if veteran)
• [ ] Organ/tissue donation wishes (also note if registered as a donor through NC DMV)
• [ ] Obituary preferences (who to mention, where to publish)
• [ ] Charitable donations in lieu of flowers (preferred organizations)

NC-specific note: North Carolina allows pre-paid funeral plans, but these must be registered with the NC Board of Funeral Service. If you have a pre-paid plan, keep the contract with your documents and make sure your executor knows it exists. Without this information, your family may unknowingly pay for services that are already covered.

Section 12: NC-Specific Documents

These documents are specific to North Carolina residency and estate administration:

• [ ] NC vehicle titles (location for each vehicle)
• [ ] NC property tax records (county, PIN, annual amount)
• [ ] NC hunting/fishing licenses (some have transferable stamps with value)
• [ ] NC concealed carry permit (if applicable, to be returned to the issuing sheriff)
• [ ] NC firearms inventory (if applicable; see our guide on inheriting firearms in NC)
• [ ] NC business licenses or registrations (Secretary of State filings)
• [ ] NC professional licenses (to be surrendered to the licensing board)

Where to Store Your Documents

The best-organized documents in the world are useless if nobody can find them.

Primary Storage: A Fireproof Home Safe or Filing Cabinet

Keep your master binder and the originals of non-irreplaceable documents in a fireproof safe or locked filing cabinet at home. Your executor must know the location and have the combination or key.

Secondary Storage: Secure Digital Copy

Scan all documents and store digital copies in a secure cloud location or digital vault (like Afterpath’s document vault). This provides a backup if physical documents are damaged and allows remote access.

Attorney’s Office

Many NC estate planning attorneys will store the original will and trust documents. This is a reasonable choice, but make sure your executor knows which attorney and how to contact them.

Safety Deposit Box (With Caveats)

A bank safety deposit box is secure, but as noted earlier, access after death can be complicated in NC. If you use a safety deposit box, ensure your executor is a co-signer on the box, or keep critical documents (the will, powers of attorney) elsewhere.

Who Should Know About Your Documents

At minimum, the following people should know that your document binder exists and where to find it:

1. Your executor (named in your will): This person needs full access and should know the location of your master binder.
2. Your spouse or partner: Even if they are not the executor, they will need access to insurance, bank accounts, and other immediate necessities.
3. Your attorney: If your attorney holds your will or other documents, they should know about the master binder so they can direct your executor to it.
4. A trusted backup person: In case your executor is unavailable, one additional person should know the binder exists.

You do not need to share the contents of the binder with everyone. Simply telling your executor “There is a binder in the safe in the bedroom closet. The combination is [X]. It contains everything you will need” is sufficient.

Maintaining Your Documents

Creating the binder is step one. Maintaining it is step two.

Review annually: Set a calendar reminder to review your document binder once a year, perhaps on your birthday or at tax time. Update account balances, add new accounts, remove closed ones, and update beneficiary designations.

Update after major life events: The following should trigger a review:

• Marriage or divorce
• Birth or adoption of a child
• Death of a beneficiary or executor
• Purchase or sale of real estate
• Starting or closing a business
• Significant changes in financial situation
• Moving to a new county (NC county-specific implications)
• Retirement

Check beneficiary designations: This is the single most commonly overlooked maintenance task. Beneficiary designations on life insurance, retirement accounts, and TOD/POD accounts override your will. If you changed your will but forgot to update a beneficiary designation on your 401(k), the old beneficiary still gets the 401(k). Review every beneficiary designation during your annual review.

The Conversation Nobody Wants to Have

The hardest part of this entire process is not the paperwork. It is telling someone about it. Talking about your own death is uncomfortable. Most people avoid it.

But consider the alternative. Your executor, who is probably someone you love, is already going to be grieving. Adding weeks or months of detective work to find documents, guess at passwords, and discover accounts they never knew about does not honor your memory. It burdens it.

The conversation can be brief: “I have organized my important documents. They are in [location]. Here is how to access them. If something happens to me, everything you need is there.”

That is it. That is the gift.

For Executors: Using This Checklist After a Death

If you are reading this article because someone has already passed and you are searching for their documents, use the checklist above as a search guide. Work through each section systematically, checking the common locations:

• Home office, filing cabinets, desk drawers
• Bedroom closets, nightstands, under mattresses
• Safety deposit boxes (contact the bank with the death certificate and your appointment papers)
• Email accounts (search for statements, notifications, and account confirmations)
• Mail (watch incoming mail for 2-3 months; it will reveal accounts, debts, and subscriptions)
• The deceased’s attorney, accountant, and financial advisor
• The deceased’s phone (saved passwords, apps, and notifications)

For a complete walkthrough of the executor’s responsibilities, see our NC executor duties checklist.

---

Related Resources

• Complete Guide to Probate in North Carolina - Full overview of the NC probate process
• NC Executor Duties Checklist - Every step executors need to complete
• Digital Assets and Cryptocurrency in Probate - Handling online accounts and crypto
• How to Probate a Will in North Carolina - Step-by-step probate guide
• NC Intestate Succession: Who Inherits Without a Will - What happens when there is no will