Staying Current
When To Review Your Estate Plan
Life changes and laws change. A look at the moments that should send you back to your documents.
An estate plan is a set of instructions about your life as it is today — and life does not hold still. A periodic review keeps a plan that was right when you signed it from quietly becoming wrong.
After A Change In Family
A marriage, divorce, birth, or death can change who should inherit, who should decide, and who should be looked after. It is also when a former spouse may still be named on a retirement account or power of attorney — a designation that can quietly override everything else.
After A Move Or A Change In Assets
A new state changes the rules around probate, witnesses, and property. A refinance, a new brokerage account, or a business interest can also break the coordination between your documents and how your assets are actually held.
When The People You Named Change
A representative may have moved away, a trustee may have aged, or a guardian may no longer be the right fit as children grow. None of this shows up on a statement, which is why a review is worth scheduling even when nothing else seems to have changed.
Signs It May Be Time
A Quick Self-Check
- Your documents are more than a few years old
- You have married, divorced, widowed, or had a child since signing
- You have moved to a different state
- Someone you named has moved, aged, or passed
Educational, not individualized advice
Keep Going
What A Review Often Leads To
A review usually surfaces one of these. Each is a natural next step.
Keep Your Plan Current
Estate Plan Reviews
A scheduled check-in to confirm older documents still reflect your family, your assets, and the law where you live.
Learn MoreKeep Documents Aligned
Beneficiary Coordination
Review the beneficiary designations on accounts you may forget about, so they stay consistent with your overall plan.
Learn MoreAsset Coordination
Trust Funding
Match how your assets are titled and who is named as beneficiary to the trust you created, so the plan actually works.
Learn MoreA Thoughtful Next Step
Time For A Review?
Start with a conversation about your priorities and the questions you want to clarify. We will help you see whether anything needs to change.