Notes from the vault
Essays on documents, succession, crypto inheritance and the quiet discipline of keeping a family in order. New piece most days.
How to find out whether someone had life insurance after they die
Many UK families never claim life insurance payouts simply because they cannot find the policy — here is a methodical way to search.
What happens to bank accounts when someone dies in England
A practical guide to notifying banks, understanding account freezing, releasing funeral funds, and the paperwork required to settle a deceased person's accounts in England and Wales.
The documents that quietly expire while life is busy
A child's expired passport, a lapsed insurance rider, an unsigned power of attorney — each feels minor until the moment it becomes the only thing that matters.
What actually happens when a parent dies without a plan
Without a documented succession plan, families routinely lose months to probate, miss insurance payouts, and discover that crypto wallets have vanished permanently.
The kitchen drawer is not an archive
A rubber band, a manila envelope, and thirty years of irreplaceable documents: why physical storage fails families who live across borders and time zones.