My wife and I did what you're supposed to do. We sat down and set up a will and a trust for our child.
It was harder than it should have been. The forms were so clunky that we gave up more than once, and in the end we needed someone else to help us finish. When it was done, we had a binder so thick that, honestly, I don't know everything that's in it.
That's when it hit me. If something happened to me tomorrow, my family would have the binder, but they still wouldn't know where to start. They'd probably have to call the law firm just to find out what we have and who to contact.
I see the same thing from the other side with my own parents. They tell me what to do "when they die," a piece at a time, in passing. None of it is written down anywhere I could find in a hurry.
So we're building Just So They Know: a simple way to get what's in your head into one clear page for the people you love. You answer a few questions, out loud or typed. We turn it into a plain-English guide: what exists, where it is, and who to call first. It doesn't replace a will or a trust. It's the page that makes them usable.
It isn't only for the end of life, either. Accidents and illnesses happen at every age. Being unavailable for a few weeks can leave a family just as lost.
We're opening to a small group first. If this sounds like something your family needs, I'd love for you to be part of it.
Jeff, founder