If You Love Them Leave Them Lists

The book everyone needs on a topic we tend to avoid

An essential guide to organizing your affairs

Meet author Catherine Rahal at the Salon Carrefour 50+, Friday, April 14 to Sunday, April 16, 2023 10am–4:30pm

Catherine Rahal’s book, IF YOU LOVE THEM LEAVE THEM LISTS, was years in the making but came to life as Covid-imposed isolation facilitated the process. No one has been left untouched by the pandemic; much of the population has been sick and far too many have lost family members unexpectedly. Many have been left ill-prepared to deal with the issues that a sudden death or incapacity causes. Often family members don’t know where to find anything, sometimes not even the power of attorney document or the will. As well, peoples’ online lives have taken on enormous importance; from banking, investments and utilities, to work and social media—what does one now do with that Facebook account? This book will guide you through all that, and so much more. Rahal will be at the Salon Carrefour 50+ at Palais des Congrès on April 14-16 to answer any questions on the topic. Books will be available as well.
FREE admission.

Touched by death early in life, the book is personal for Rahal. “I became ‘that lady down the street’ when my husband died in the 1983 Air Canada accident at the Cincinnati airport. I was a widow at age 33, so I quickly learned what is important,” she explains. “We tend to think that bad things happen to other people, but eventually we become part of that group. When my brother-in-law died a few years later at age 46, he left a notebook for his wife—that stuck with me and became one of the inspirations for this book.”

Rahal is also a longtime financial advisor and elder planning consultant. “Incapacity and death can touch us at any age. We all leave something behind, and someone needs to take care of it. Help them to do it as you would want it done,” she adds.

From Paul Delean’s Montreal Gazette review: “There is no better gift to yourself, those who will care for you, and those you eventually leave behind, than this roadmap. You might think your family knows everything about you, but that isn’t always the case.”

“One of the biggest fears most of us share is losing control of our bodies and minds as we age. Our bodies betray us, and our minds don’t always stay as sharp as we’d like. A legacy notebook is a way to exert some control over how the last part of your life will unfold. Having guidelines in place will enable your representatives to reach out to the right people to find help and can go a long way towards reducing the stress generated when life throws your world into crisis mode.”— IF YOU LOVE THEM LEAVE THEM LISTS

IF YOU LOVE THEM LEAVE THEM LISTS takes readers on a tour of the necessary documents and thought processes that puts together a complete picture of one’s money, digital footprint, belongings, papers and final wishes, and more importantly, provides a workbook of forms to use. For those dealing with an estate with no instructions, this guide can help figure out what to look for. The target readership is any adult. Older people need it now, and it will inform younger adults how to handle upcoming events.

Written in a friendly and accessible style, the aim of the book is to help the reader break down into bite-sized pieces what can otherwise be a daunting process. Though written in Quebec (also available in French as VOUS AIMEZ VOS PROCHES ? LAISSEZ-LEUR DES LISTES !), the information is applicable almost anywhere. Rahal has taken care to emphasize that jurisdictions differ, and readers should make sure to check what is necessary in theirs.

IF YOU LOVE THEM LEAVE THEM LISTS is available in print or ebook format at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters-Indigo, and others.

Salon Carrefour 50+, April 14, 15, 16, 10am–4:30pm
Palais des Congrès de Montréal
1001 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, H2Z 1H5