For several years, I have been concerned about the trust my husband (now deceased) and I set up more than 20 years ago. Over a decade ago, we revised it with a different attorney to accommodate some family changes. Unfortunately, both attorneys are no longer practicing law. My trust is sitting in a binder in my office in disarray, due to one of the attorneys handing me loose sheets to organize—and what I thought would be simple, simply wasn’t.
What if a fire destroyed my documents? What if I misplaced or lost them? What would happen to my estate plan if I suddenly died?
Recently, I had the good fortune to meet Christine Alleman, founder and CEO of TrustSafe LLC. Christine shared some sobering statistics—and a solution to my dilemma.
As people increasingly conduct business virtually, the Uniform Law Commission passed legislation authorizing electronically created and executed estate documents to keep up with modern technological advances. There is now a way to keep my documents safe—a trusted place to safeguard my estate documents for a relatively small fee. TrustSafe’s digital vault protects them from becoming lost, stolen, damaged or altered.
Christine has spent more than 30 years in the legal industry and has seen many heartbreaking situations where families have been torn apart over fraudulent actions by one or more family members. She has seen estate plans lost when clients move, or when estate planners retire or pass away. She has found the solutions—and is enthusiastically sharing them with success.
“My aim is to help clients have success stories, to help them find peace and avoid conflict,” Christine explains.
For more information, contact Christine at 623.226.7335 or email info@trustsafe.us. Visit her website at trustsafellc.com.
Why Document Security Matters
Each year there are a reported:
- 358,000 home fires
- 1.5 million home burglaries
- 4.6 million instances of lost computer data
- $2.8 billion in probate expenses, from which
- $1.5 billion is paid to attorneys
- $28 billion in losses due to financial elder abuse
And 35% of adults in the U.S. are reported to experience devastating family conflict over misplaced or mishandled wills and trusts. Additionally, it is believed 52% do not disclose to loved ones the location of their estate planning documents, leaving their family members in the dark and often feeling overwhelmed at an already difficult time.
Secure, centralized document storage—paired with a clear communication plan—is critical to protecting your legacy and reducing emotional and financial stress for your family.