Organise the documents before the emergency.

The emergency folder, explained.

What is the difference between advance directives and a mandate for incapacity?

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Advance directives set out your parent's medical wishes if they can no longer decide; the mandate for incapacity (MCI) names who will manage their affairs and represent them. They cover different things — medical versus administrative and financial — and families usually need both. Both must be written while your parent still has capacity.

Does the mandate for incapacity have to be handwritten?

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To be valid it must be either entirely handwritten, dated and signed, or drawn up before a notary. A typed-and-signed document is not valid. It's also pointless if no one can find it — so the folder records where it is kept.

What documents should actually be in the folder?

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Eight sections: identity, health, money, insurance, property, wishes, key people, and digital access. The aim is that one nominated child can find a doctor's number, an insurance policy or a password at 11pm on a Sunday — which is exactly when the folder earns its keep.

Where should we store it, and who should have access?

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We build a physical binder plus an encrypted digital copy and a one-page "in case of" summary. Typically your parent and one nominated child hold it, and trusted contacts know it exists and where it is. Recording the location is as important as the contents.

My parent died — what are the very first administrative steps?

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In Geneva, declare the death to the civil registry within two days (often handled by the funeral company) and deposit any will with the Justice de paix immediately. Then stop the AVS pension, terminate the EMS/IMAD and insurance contracts, and decide within three months whether to accept or repudiate the estate.

Will we inherit our parent's debts?

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Not necessarily — heirs have three months to accept or repudiate the succession, which matters if the estate is in debt. This is one reason the folder lists banks, recurring payments and liabilities clearly: you can only make that decision well if you can see the full picture quickly.

Isn't building this folder morbid — won't it upset my parent?

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We build it discreetly, with your parent and one child, with no sense of finality — it's a quiet act of love, not a countdown. Most parents tell us afterwards they sleep better knowing it's done and their family won't be lost.

Can the emergency folder be set up on its own, without the full review?

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Yes. It's included in the Family Review, or available as a standalone setup — physical binder, encrypted digital copy and one annual update to keep it current as things change.