Where to keep your will, EPA and insurance details
Your will, your enduring powers of attorney and your insurance policies are the three sets of documents your family is most likely to need in a hurry. They have different jobs, so they're best kept in different ways. Here's a practical setup that works for most households.
The "If something happens to me" checklist
A printable checklist of everything your family would need: insurance, KiwiSaver, vehicles, pets, your will and who to call.
Your will
The original matters, so this is the one to store most carefully.
Best option: with your lawyer or trustee company
Most lawyers and trustee companies will hold your original will in safe custody, usually at no ongoing cost if they drew it up. It's protected from fire and loss, and your executor knows exactly who to call.
If you keep it at home
Use a fire-resistant document safe or box, not a desk drawer or a pile of papers. Make sure someone you trust knows where it is and can get the key or code. Don't staple, unstaple or write on the original — anything that looks like it's been altered can cause problems later.
Keep a copy for reference
A scanned copy is useful so you can remind yourself what you decided, but the copy isn't a substitute for the original. Label it clearly as a copy and note where the original is held.
Enduring powers of attorney
An EPA has to be usable straight away by the person you've appointed.
Give your attorneys access
Unlike a will, an EPA is used while you're alive — sometimes suddenly, after an accident or illness. Your attorneys need to be able to get to it quickly. Many people leave the original with their lawyer and give each attorney a certified copy, or tell them exactly where it's kept.
Record both types
New Zealand has two kinds of EPA: one for property and money, and one for personal care and welfare. They're separate documents and may name different people. Note who your attorney is for each, and where each document is.
Insurance policies
Here it's the details that matter, not the paper.
You need the details, not the original
Insurers work from their own records, so nobody needs your original policy document to make a claim. What your family needs is the insurer, policy number, claims phone number and what each policy covers — fast.
Write down every policy
- House, contents, car, boat — insurer, policy number, renewal month
- Life, income protection, health and funeral cover — insurer, policy number, who's covered
- Broker or adviser, if you use one
- Where the policy documents arrive (email address, app, post)
Don't forget workplace and card cover
Some employers provide life or income cover, and some credit cards include travel insurance. These are easy to forget because there's no separate bill. Note them alongside your own policies.
Pull it together in one index
The goal is one place that answers: what exists, who holds it, and who to call.
One index, kept up to date
Rather than one giant folder, keep a single list that says where each important document is and who to contact. Print a copy for your executor or attorneys, and update it when anything changes — new policy, new lawyer, new attorney.
Don't include passwords
Your index should say which accounts exist, not how to log into them. Keep passwords in a password manager with an emergency access feature, so a printed list going astray doesn't put your accounts at risk.
This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to a lawyer or trustee company about your own documents.
HomeTrack is that index
HomeTrack's ICE profile records where your will is held, who your attorneys are, and every insurance policy with its insurer, number, claims line and renewal month — for each adult in the household. It reminds you before renewals, prompts you to review sections that haven't been checked in a while, and exports a clean PDF to hand to your executor.
Start your 30-day free trial → No credit card required · Made in New ZealandCommon questions
Where is the safest place to keep my will in NZ?
For most people, with the lawyer or trustee company that prepared it, who hold it in safe custody. If you keep it yourself, use a fire-resistant safe and make sure someone you trust knows where it is.
Should my attorney have a copy of my EPA?
Your attorneys need to be able to use the EPA quickly, so many people give them a certified copy or make sure they know exactly where the original is kept.
Do I need to keep my original insurance policy documents?
No. Insurers work from their own records. What matters is recording the insurer, policy number, claims phone number and what each policy covers, so your family can make a claim quickly.