• Knowing which legal documents to discard is confusingdocuments in fire - 1 image by Igors Leonovs from Fotolia.com
  
  

Legal Documents To Store Indefinitely

• Keep birth and death certificates, papers of citizenship and Social Security cards because they prove identity and life status. Wills, copyright, adoption and divorce papers should be kept indefinitely as they refer to a person's wishes, legal ownership or prove relationship status. Other documents to keep are those pertaining to valuable assets such as deeds or stocks and bonds. You should store these types of documents in a safe deposit box for safe-keeping.
  
  

Legal Documents To Destroy After Expiry

• Destroy credit card receipts after use to prevent credit card theft, as advised by Good Housekeeping. Discard out-of-date warranties, coupons and bank statements after one month of transactions unless required for tax purposes. You can destroy salary statements after checking that your W-2 is correct. Tax documents do need to be kept for seven years, however, providing you have not filed a fraudulent claim.
  
  

Bottom Line

• Keep legal documents if in doubt. Always keep legal documents that pertain to identity, status, citizenship, security numbers, copyright and any rightful claim to monies. Keep other legal documents for a specified time before discarding. Less important documents such as financial statements and warranties can be disposed of after their purpose has expired.