Custody Decides Whether the Papers Survive: Keeping Dad's Originals, Certified Copies, and Scans in Order

Papers get asked for again long after the first filing. VA may request a document a second time, a new representative needs a copy, a bank wants proof of the award, and a care agency asks for the award letter before it signs anything. Each request arrives when nobody remembers where the original went. A pension file that lasts is one with a custody plan, not one with a heroic search at the end.

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Sort every paper into one of three piles

The first pile holds originals and certified copies. These stay in a fire-resistant place and do not leave the house unless a request specifically asks for the original. The second pile holds ordinary copies you can share freely, such as scans of letters and forms you have already sent. The third pile holds papers you only need to read, such as notices you have answered and paid bills. Sorting this way keeps the one or two papers that cannot be replaced from being mixed in with the ones that can.

Name one keeper and one backup

Write down who keeps the originals, who has the scans, and where each item is physically located. Name a backup who knows where the list is and can find a paper without calling you. The list itself belongs in the folder, dated when it was last checked, so the next person knows whether it is trustworthy. A list nobody has updated is one more paper to lose.

Scan each paper as it arrives

Scan every page on the day it comes in, and name the file by what it is and the date it was received. Keep one copy of the scans somewhere other than the home computer. When VA or a bank asks for a paper, send a copy unless the request says otherwise, and read the request carefully so you know which form of the paper it wants.

The papers worth keeping for years

Keep the decision letter and every later pension notice, the claim receipt, the representative appointment copy, the income statements you filed, and the expense records that support any deduction. Keep the veteran's discharge record copy and any marriage record that bears on the claim. For each one, know whether you hold the original, a certified copy, or only a scan, because the answer decides whether you can hand it over or must order a replacement.

When a paper is missing

Ask the office that issued the paper for a replacement, and do not guess at its contents from memory. Write down the date you asked and the date the replacement arrived. If you need help tracking down a copy or understanding what a request is asking for, the free offices listed on Local Help: St. Louis Offices can point you to the right desk.

Decide who else sees the file

If anyone outside the family will hold copies, such as a representative, an agency, or a bank, decide that in writing and note what each person received and when. Do not hand over originals to anyone without a written reason and a written receipt. For the order in which to read this desk's other material, see Start Here: The Order to Read.