valuable papers

Valuable papers refers to documents and records that are of significant importance to a person and are taken care of as such. Valuable papers, under estates and trusts law, are valuable because they detail a decedent's final wishes, ensure those plans are followed through, and their assets are distributed accordingly. Valuable papers include wills , power of attorney forms, title documents, stock certificates , letters to be opened after one's death, and more. For an example of how documents and records are determined to be valuable papers by the courts, please see this North Carolina case, In re Will of Allen ; and this New York case, Uribe v. Merchs. Bank of NY .