CTB documents (Will, etc). Where, How?

[JWL]

I plan to ctb in my car with nitrogen.

Can anyone enlighten me as to the procedure the (UK/Scotland) police and authorities have for dealing with my remaining personal items and more importantly the documents I want to leave behind?

Basically, body to med science, so no funeral nonsense. Documents = maybe just one or two letters and a key person to inform. What's the best way to ensure the police can access my instructions? A short note to them with my wishes? Or is it something a will has to deal with, and if so should I leave this in the car with me, or with the executor I've chosen? Then who would open it? As you can see, I'm a bit confused about logical way to do this.

To summarize..

I'm happy for the police to just dump the small items I will have in my car.
I'd like the car to go to a next of kin, but it will be around 400 miles from where they are, so not sure how police would work that.
What to do with my will to ensure it is acted on swiftly
What is police procedure for other letters and notes found. Will they open and forward to the relevant person?

Anything I've missed?

All advice welcome.

 

[TiredHorse]

The disposition of assets --car, any moneys, etc.-- is typically dealt with in a will. Likewise donating your body to science would be addressed in a clause in the will. I don't know how things work in the UK/Scotland, but here in the US you can buy boilerplate will forms, fill them out, and then have them witnessed and notarized to make them legal --I had mine witnessed and notarized by my insurance agent, who didn't bat an eye. It's no big deal, but it is a legal form so it must be done properly.

I have a lot of sentimental items that don't warrent mentioning in a legal will (and items in a will are taxed, so leaving the legal will vague will ease the financial burden), so I have written out instructions for their distribution in a separate, informal document that my mother or sister will read and attend to. So the legal will says, "everything goes to my sister and mother," while that informal document asks my sister and mother, "please give my collection of gilded widgets to my good friend and fellow gilded widget collector ___."

I have heard, on this site, from people in the UK, that the police confiscate all relevant documents --will, final note, last informal instructions-- with the deceased, then hold them for evidence at any inquest, and that it can be a long process for your next of kin to get them back after an inquest. With that in mind, in case it's the same here, I intend to leave a brief instructional note for the police --placed obviously with my corpse (in a breast pocket, or perhaps taped to the door by which they will enter the house), then have a separate packet of documents such as my will, final letters, etc., left someplace where my family will find them but the police won't. As soon as police notify my family (instructions will be in my police note), my family will have access to my house and will find all the necessary documents: I have a box labled "Open upon my death" that I will leave conspicuously someplace the police have no reason to go. The box also contains items I wish to have cremated with me.

Alternately, if you want the police to find everything but are worried about how long it might take them to relay the documents to your next-of-kin, make copies of your documents that you know will be found by your next-of-kin rather than the police. The police will almost certainly make every effort to notify your next-of-kin expediently.

As for the small items in your car, here in the US I don't believe the authorities are legally allowed to dispose of any items; that's a job for next-of-kin. Collecting the car itself will be a job for the person you're leaving it to. With this in mind it's best to appoint from within your next-of-kin a de facto executor, whom the police will first notify and who can then deal with the post mortem logistics.

How quickly your will will be dealt with is something I can't address. I suspect it'll depend on inquest, your executor, and UK legal details I am unfamiliar with.