It is important to conduct an estate planning review whenever something major changes in your life – like a birth, death, or divorce – is key to ensuring your will remains valid and that the people you love are taken care of in the way you intend. Here are some additional steps you can take to be sure your estate plan remains valid:

• Make it easy to find and somewhere accessible. It is not uncommon for people to file away a trust, will, and estate plan in a safety deposit box, which makes it inaccessible to your family without a court order. Also, make your loved ones and trust friend(s) aware of where your estate plan is kept. Quick access to your estate planning documents is important should something happen to you.
• Make wise choices in trustees or executors. Not only should you name more than one person as trustee or executor – you will want backups if for some reason your primary choice cannot serve – you should also inform each person that you have chosen them to ensure their willingness to take on the job.
• Avoid contradictions in your estate planning. Be sure that your will does not contradict your choices for beneficiaries of your retirement accounts, life insurance policy, etc. A lot of very good estate planning can go awry because of sloppy beneficiary designations.
• Name guardians. If you have minor children, one of the most important functions of your estate plan is to name a guardian. If that person cannot serve, you will need to have named a second choice for a guardian to ensure the future of your children does not end up in the hands of a judge who doesn’t know you or the choices you might have made for them.
• Beware of unintentional disinheritances. If you are remarried and have children from your first marriage you wish to provide for as well as your current spouse, you will want to make those provisions for them in your estate plan. If you wish to intentionally disinherit someone, you should specifically state your intentions in your will.
• Get professional guidance. Wills and other estate planning documents downloaded from the internet will not be tailored to the specific needs of your family. You should seek out the experience of a qualified attorney to help you avoid mistakes that could jeopardize your family’s financial future.

The best way to learn about protecting your family is to talk with us about a Family Wealth Planning Session, where we can identify the best strategies for you to provide for and protect the financial security of your loved ones. Contact us to get started.

You can schedule a call with us or reach us directly at 855.528.9637 to learn more about how best to plan today to protect those most important to you.