Nothing is wrong and to your knowledge nothing significant has changed. Yet, each year you go to your doctor for a physical. You answer your doctor’s questions and you have routine tests to make sure that your health is on track and to deal with any silent dangers that could hurt you if they aren’t addressed.The same thing can happen if you don’t have an estate planning check-up to keep your property and family protected.
Why you need an annual estate planning check-up.
Just as you wouldn’t go to a doctor once and assume everything will be okay forever, so too you shouldn’t develop an estate plan and assume that it will always meet your needs. Instead, you should have regular meetings with your estate planning lawyer to discuss:
- Any changes in laws. Tax and other estate planning laws may change and make it important for you to also change your estate plan.
- Any changes in your family. Additions to your family, deaths, divorces, and estrangements may change how you want to leave your money and assets to your loved ones.
- Any changes in your priorities. The medical needs of a loved one, charitable involvement or interests, and other things may change your priorities.
- Any changes in your wealth. If you there is a considerable change in your wealth then you may need to make changes to your estate plan.
If you have experienced one of these changes or it has been a while since you looked at your estate plan then it is important to schedule a check-up with an estate planning lawyer. If everything looks good then you may not need to make any changes. However, if there are changes that could benefit you or your future beneficiaries then you can learn about them and make an educated decision about what to do next.
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