Hi, I’m Fiona, the founder of Life File.
I have worked in Banking for over 25 years, and countless times unfortunately, I have witnessed the distress and emotional trauma that people experience when they have lost a loved one, and they can’t locate what they need to close accounts and wind up the estate.
It was very upsetting for me personally seeing their distress. These people were having to do this when their grief was new, raw and often they would be barely functioning - it was heart-breaking watching them embark on a search to find critical documents, having no idea where they were, or even what format they were stored in - paper or digital?
It was very upsetting for me personally seeing their distress. These people were having to do this when their grief was new, raw and often they would be barely functioning - it was heart-breaking watching them embark on a search to find critical documents, having no idea where they were, or even what format they were stored in - paper or digital?
Just a few of the many scenarios I saw...
Someone’s partner died unexpectedly. That person ran the household and all the financial matters.
The person left behind was completely lost, having no idea how things functioned, or where records were located. In the depth of their grief, this person had to front up to Banks, Power Companies etc trying to track documents, all the while worrying as the bills accumulated
A loved one dies overseas. This was particularly harrowing, as often not only do the family not have access to essential records, they have to deal with the reality of the body being repatriated.
Someone died and the precious photos are locked in a computer no-one can access. The photos are forever lost.
All the paperwork is on a locked computer that no-one has been able to access.
The person left behind was completely lost, having no idea how things functioned, or where records were located. In the depth of their grief, this person had to front up to Banks, Power Companies etc trying to track documents, all the while worrying as the bills accumulated
A loved one dies overseas. This was particularly harrowing, as often not only do the family not have access to essential records, they have to deal with the reality of the body being repatriated.
Someone died and the precious photos are locked in a computer no-one can access. The photos are forever lost.
All the paperwork is on a locked computer that no-one has been able to access.
Then it got personal...
A relative’s wife lost a brother suddenly - a terrible shock. He was a single man - only in his 30’s, no partner, no children and he rented a property on his own. His family were confronted with the realisation of how little they knew about his overall life once they reached his home.
They had to try and locate his employer - sure they knew where he worked, but they didn’t have his employers contact details. They couldn’t let them know that he wouldn’t be at work because he had died.
They didn’t know who his landlord was, or how to stop his power and phone accounts. Did he owe money on his car? Where did he bank? How could they access his computer and personal information? The questions were endless, and there were no obvious answers. It was so stressful for the family.
I started to think about all the situations where having access to records would be important and necessary.
They had to try and locate his employer - sure they knew where he worked, but they didn’t have his employers contact details. They couldn’t let them know that he wouldn’t be at work because he had died.
They didn’t know who his landlord was, or how to stop his power and phone accounts. Did he owe money on his car? Where did he bank? How could they access his computer and personal information? The questions were endless, and there were no obvious answers. It was so stressful for the family.
I started to think about all the situations where having access to records would be important and necessary.
A Life File is also for the living!
It’s not only at the end of our life we need information.
Someone is away from the house and needed access to information for any number of reasons e.g. adding a new purchase to existing insurance cover, wanting bank account numbers, car registration details, etc
A Fire/Flood/Natural disaster has wreaked havoc and caused information to be destroyed. The owners are not sure where to even start to try and get all their essential records again.
Covid has unexpectedly taken so many loved ones across the world and families have struggled to get together to collate information – or even get home to get that information. There are many Covid horror stories, and Covid serves as a reminder that the unexpected does happen!
Someone is away from the house and needed access to information for any number of reasons e.g. adding a new purchase to existing insurance cover, wanting bank account numbers, car registration details, etc
A Fire/Flood/Natural disaster has wreaked havoc and caused information to be destroyed. The owners are not sure where to even start to try and get all their essential records again.
Covid has unexpectedly taken so many loved ones across the world and families have struggled to get together to collate information – or even get home to get that information. There are many Covid horror stories, and Covid serves as a reminder that the unexpected does happen!
A Solution Emerges
I saw so many variations of these kinds of things, as part of my job, as well as in my personal life. I started to consider if there was a better way, a solution that could avert these distressing situations.
Wouldn’t it be great if all that much-needed information was stored in one place, and able to be accessed by a trusted person if need be?
Once I thought of this, it seemed so simple, I was surprised someone else had not already done it. The need is enormous, and the solutions scant or non-existent.
So, over the next few years, I collated a list with bullet points for people to trial when a loved one passed away - each made the similar comment “Having that list really took a lot of stress out of the situation. Just knowing exactly what/where to do/go to get their things sorted out”.
As additional scenarios that families faced came to my attention, they were added to the list.
In the developmental stages of Life Files, a solicitor who had been given a completed paper list by a client was able to use it to wind up his clients estate much quicker when the person passed, saving the remaining family time, money and stress.
Wouldn’t it be great if all that much-needed information was stored in one place, and able to be accessed by a trusted person if need be?
Once I thought of this, it seemed so simple, I was surprised someone else had not already done it. The need is enormous, and the solutions scant or non-existent.
So, over the next few years, I collated a list with bullet points for people to trial when a loved one passed away - each made the similar comment “Having that list really took a lot of stress out of the situation. Just knowing exactly what/where to do/go to get their things sorted out”.
As additional scenarios that families faced came to my attention, they were added to the list.
In the developmental stages of Life Files, a solicitor who had been given a completed paper list by a client was able to use it to wind up his clients estate much quicker when the person passed, saving the remaining family time, money and stress.
Moving into the 21st Century
Out of clutter, find simplicity.