April 4, 2022

Many things change in the state and national landscape over the years, and there’s a good chance that many things have changed in your life too. If you haven’t revisited your estate plan since 2010, it’s a good idea to set up a meeting with an estate planning attorney in your area for a review and an update.

Many things have changed in the last 10+ years, both at the state and national level and also likely in your life.

For example, have you:

• Set up contingent beneficiaries?
• Included all children and grandchildren in your plan?
• Changed your marital status?
• Acquired more property?
• Got rid of some property?

You should probably hire a new attorney to do the updating but be aware that some lawyers may be uncomfortable being held responsible for a document they did not initially draft. It is essential to work directly with an attorney because there are many potential mistakes that could happen in the drafting or updating of your estate planning tools.

The more you’re familiar with some of these possible concerns, the easier it is to consult with an attorney and make sure you have covered all of the various bases. If you have gone through significant life changes since the last time you originally created your estate plan and, in particular, if you have acquired a great deal of property or adopted or given birth to children in this time period, you’ll want to have a lawyer who can help walk you through this process.