Family emergency binder template

Prefer a digital copy? Use all ten binder sections in your browser, or download the complete binder template (.txt) to fill in privately.

See a useful first entry

WHO TO CALL FIRST · PAGE 2

Name and relationship

Alex · sibling

Phone

[their current phone number]

What this person can help with

Coordinate family calls and contact the agreed pet-care helper.

1. Name the role. Ask whether this person is willing to help.
2. Check the number. Use a current number, not an old address-book entry.
3. Make the task clear. “Family calls” gives someone a place to begin.

Make three entries, then try them

1. One contact · page 2. Add someone who has agreed to help, their number, and what they can do. Add a backup if useful.
2. One document location · page 4. Choose a current insurance document, lease, or another relevant record. Write its exact folder or holder and the legitimate next step for obtaining it. The document location guide has a worked example.
3. One household task · page 6. Record something that cannot wait, such as the pet-care contact and where to find the routine.

Show your trusted person where the binder is kept. Ask: “If I couldn’t answer the phone, what would you do next?” Check that the folder can be reached and the instructions make sense. You can do this without opening every private page.

Choose the pages you need

The PDF contains these 10 pages. Skip anything that does not fit your household.

Keep it private and current

Include: useful contacts, clear document locations, and the instructions that person needs.

Keep out: passwords, PINs, recovery codes, full account or card numbers, Social Security numbers, and unnecessary identity-document copies. Keep detailed records separately protected. Use each online service’s supported access or recovery process.

A pet-care helper may need the household page without the health or financial pages. Treat home-access details with extra care. Date health information, check it after care changes, and do not use the binder to change prescribed treatment.

Store completed pages in a protected place. For backups, check who can open both the file and its containing account or folder. The CFPB recommends separately stored copies and password-protected online copies.

Check legal authority separately. The binder does not replace a will, advance directive, or power of attorney, or grant account access. Ask the relevant professional or institution about requirements. If a financial power of attorney exists, the CFPB recommends sharing it with the bank or credit union in advance.

Keep the next step small

Date your entries. Recheck them after a move, a new contact or provider, changed care instructions, or an updated document. Choose a regular review date, replace outdated copies, and tell affected people what changed.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to fill in all 10 pages?

No. One agreed contact, one confirmed document location, and one useful household instruction make a practical starting point. Leave irrelevant pages blank.

Should I use paper or a digital copy?

Choose what you can protect, keep current, and make appropriately accessible. Paper can be lost or damaged; digital copies depend on device and account access. If you keep both, label the current version clearly.

Can I use the template without DearFile?

Yes. The blank template works on its own. Complete the print or text version privately and keep it wherever you have agreed with your trusted person.

General organizing guidance for U.S. readers. This is not legal, financial, or medical advice.