{"id":42164,"date":"2025-05-09T08:46:03","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T08:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=42164"},"modified":"2025-05-09T08:46:03","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T08:46:03","slug":"create-an-emergency-911-envelope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=42164","title":{"rendered":"Create An \u201cEmergency \u2013 911\u201d Envelope"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometimes the most important estate planning steps are simple, little or no-cost, common sense things that are just overlooked. Here\u2019s one: the emergency envelope. You should have an emergency envelope with key documents in it for you and each person in your household. You might even go a step further and make several of these. Keep one at your home (someplace obvious so if there is a 911 type emergency you or an emergency responder can find it), and another at your vacation home (boat, etc.). Give one to a key agent who will help you if there is a medical emergency, and finally you might put one with your suitcases so you take it along when you travel. You might print \u201cEmergency Medical Info\u201d and\/or \u201c911\u201d on the envelope in bold red color so it is obvious that it is important in an emergency.<\/p>\n

Yes, its important to have an estate plan, current estate planning documents, and so on, but protecting yourselves and your loved ones is never complete with simply having documents.<\/p>\n

Preparing Your Emergency Envelope<\/strong><\/p>\n

The legal documents discussed below should each be signed, witnessed and notarized. Since you don’t know where an emergency might happen have two witnesses and a notary on each document so that they hopefully meet the criteria of whatever state law applies where you are. While documents legally signed in your home state are supposed to be valid elsewhere, that is not a conversation you want to have in an ER. You probably can carry copies. This may be the only practical solution if you have multiple envelopes. While it is probably not necessary to carry an original, if you can, you might choose to do that.<\/p>\n

And remember for a any child above the age of majority (18 in most states) they need their own documents. Your legal right to their medical information or to make decisions often terminates at that age. When a child or other loved one heads off to college, they should get their own documents and take along their own emergency envelope.<\/p>\n

For the non-legal documents mentioned below, you should try to type them and save them on your computer or smart phone so you can update them as necessary.<\/p>\n

Legal Documents to Include in Your 911 Envelope<\/strong><\/p>\n