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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)
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Hope for the best, prepare for the worst (The
Street)
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The digital storage solution (Washington Post)
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Preserving the paper trail (MSNBC)
-
5 ways to save your papers in a natural disaster
(MSN)
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
Download as PDF
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:
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Estate Plan
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Wills, trusts, powers of
attorney, designations of health care surrogate,
declarations of preneed guardian, living wills
|
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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
|
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Real Estate
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Deeds, closing statements,
closing files, contracts, title insurance
policies, surveys, appraisals, notes, mortgages,
loan documents, home improvement records,
photographs, videos
|
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Tangible Property
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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
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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
|
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Personal
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Address books, fingerprints,
correspondence, club memberships, gym
memberships, military service, diplomas,
transcripts, certificates, awards, news
clippings, memorabilia, keepsakes, family
recipes
|
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Wallet/Purse
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Driver licenses, credit
cards, debit cards, ID cards, checks, membership
cards, addresses, medical insurance, auto
insurance, traveler checks, AAA, voter ID,
passport
|
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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
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