How to Protect Valuable Documents by
Scanning
Copyright 2006 by James W. Martin, Esq.
My law office has been scanning documents for years, but
only recently has available technology provided the ability to scan thousands of
pages of valuable documents as images on a portable storage device. While the
Apple iPod has drawn consumer attention to technology's advanced ability to
store thousands of songs on a device no larger than a deck of playing cards, the
truly marvelous fact for lawyers and everyone else who depend on paper documents
for their daily lives is that the scanned digital images of valuable documents
can also be stored on a similar device: external hard drive, CD, DVD, or flash
memory USB drive. Waterproof USB drives are now available, too.
All the valuable paper documents that
people depend on to run their business and personal lives can be scanned as
digital images (usually, TIFF or PDF files) and stored in multiple,
easy-to-reach places as online files on computers, portable devices and distant
backup web sites. All of this can be done quickly and for a reasonable cost.
The 2005 hurricane season focused media attention on the value of scanning legal
documents and other important documents. Here are links to some of the articles:
-
How to prepare for one really quick getaway (NY Times)
- Hope
for the best, prepare for the worst (The Street)
-
The digital storage solution (Washington Post)
- Take
charge of your family records (Microsoft)
-
Preserving the paper trail (MSNBC)
-
5 ways to save your papers in a natural disaster (MSN)
- Protect your important
documents (Nat'l Endowment for Fin'l Ed.)
See the Appendix below for a
checklist of documents to scan.
Hurricane Andrew a
decade ago and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year reminded us of the
importance of preserving and protecting valuable papers, not only for heirs in
case of death, but also in case of natural disaster. A return to the natural
routines of daily living is quicker for those who maintain digital image copies
of their personal and business records on a portable hard drive or a backup web
site.
James W. Martin is a probate, real estate, and corporate
lawyer in St. Petersburg, who has written for the Florida Bar Journal and News,
ALI-ABA Practical Lawyer, and West Publishing, and has more information on his
Web site, www.jamesmartinpa.com.
Appendix A
IMPORTANT DOCUMENT SCANNING CHECKLIST
In order to plan for your
personal and business asset protection in case of hurricane, death, disability,
or other unexpected circumstances, the following documents can be scanned as
digital images (TIFF or PDF) onto CD, DVD, flash memory USB drive,
portable/external hard drive, or other digital media to keep in a safe and
secure place that is readily accessible:
Click here to download
this checklist as PDF file
|
Estate Plan |
Wills, trusts, powers of attorney,
designations of health care surrogate, declarations of preneed guardian,
living wills |
|
Financial |
Check registers, deposit lists, balance
sheets, profit and loss statements, monthly bills, recurring payments,
Quicken and Microsoft Money printouts |
|
Investments |
Bank statements, broker statements,
mutual fund statements, stock and bond certificates |
|
Insurance |
Homeowner, flood, auto, umbrella, life,
health, dental, disability, professional liability |
|
Real Estate |
Deeds, closing statements, closing
files, contracts, title insurance policies, surveys, appraisals, notes,
mortgages, loan documents, home improvement records, photographs, videos |
|
Tangible Property |
Receipts, appraisals, photos, insurance
and inventory of jewelry, art, furs, collections, contents of real
estate, and other valuables |
|
Taxes |
Income tax returns, real estate taxes,
homestead exemption, other taxes |
|
Vehicles |
Title certificates, tag registrations,
window stickers, manuals, invoice and purchase documents, loan
documents, photos, insurance |
|
Children |
Birth records, inoculation records,
prescriptions, medical/dental records, fingerprints, report cards,
evaluations, school records, test scores, awards, teacher notes, color
photos, videos, audio recordings |
|
Consumer |
Warranties, manuals, sales receipts |
|
Debts |
Credit card statements, loan documents,
loan statements |
|
Family History |
Birth certificates, marriage licenses,
marriage certificates, property settlement agreements, dissolutions of
marriage, prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements, death
certificates, probate records, family trees, family records, family
photos |
|
Medical & Dental |
Medicine prescriptions, eyeglass and
contacts prescriptions, inoculation records, explanations of benefits,
medical histories, medical and dental care providers, insurance |
|
Pets |
Pedigrees, birth records, medical
records, license tags, inoculation records, photos |
|
Photos & Videos |
Family, friends, vacations, home,
property, vehicles, insurance inventory, color, black & white |
|
Personal |
Address books, fingerprints,
correspondence, club memberships, gym memberships, military service,
diplomas, transcripts, certificates, awards, news clippings,
memorabilia, keepsakes, family recipes |
|
Wallet/Purse |
Driver licenses, credit cards, debit
cards, ID cards, checks, membership cards, addresses, medical insurance,
auto insurance, traveler checks, AAA, voter ID, passport |
|
Business |
Corporate minute books, check registers,
deposit lists, balance sheets, profit and loss statements, monthly
bills, recurring payments, financial records, property records, employee
records, substantive business information records, computer software
lists, pension and profit sharing plan records |
|
