You may know exactly which drawer contains an important document. Someone else may see only a room full of drawers. Your guide can bridge that gap with a clear description of the location.
Start by listing the kinds of records you keep: insurance paperwork, property records, employment information, and legal documents prepared elsewhere. You do not need to reproduce their contents in your guide.
Use locations a visitor can recognize
“In my files” is difficult to follow. “In the blue folder marked Home, in the left drawer of the study desk” gives a reader something to find. Include the room, storage place, and folder label when those details are appropriate to share.
For digital records, describe the folder structure or identify the person who can explain the authorized access process. Do not put a password, security answer, recovery code, or private access link in the guide.
Distinguish copies from originals
If you keep reference copies in one place and original paperwork elsewhere, say so. That can help someone avoid mistaking a convenient copy for the original. When a legal document is involved, direct questions about its use to the relevant professional rather than interpreting it yourself in the guide.
A fictional instruction could be: “The study binder contains reference copies. Contact the professional listed in People to contact to ask about the original documents and any next steps.”
Keep the map current
Moving a folder can make an otherwise accurate guide misleading. When you reorganize your paperwork, update the matching instruction. Labels that stay consistent over time are easier for others to recognize.
In Case I Can't is a place for practical information, not a substitute for a document storage service or for professionally prepared legal records. The guide can point someone toward those records without trying to replace them.
Before you finish, imagine following your own instruction from the front door. Would you know which room and which folder to choose? If the answer depends on a family nickname or an assumption, add one more plain detail.