Keeping Your Houston Estate Plan Up-To-Date

"Many have not taken adequate steps to review and update these plans since the moment they were signed. Meanwhile, major life events such as marriage, the birth of a child or the launch of a business may have occurred."

Estate plans are not a one-shot deal. They are like a snapshot of your life at a particular point in time. An old estate plan shows how your property and life circumstances looked at the time it was made. But things change over time, and so should your estate plan.

If you never change your estate plan, it might stop doing what you want.  As Forbes points out, in an article titled “Why You Should Update Your Estate Plan,” if you do not update your estate plan when your life circumstances change, then you might be risking costly legal battles for your heirs. Significant property acquisitions that are not accounted for in your estate plan can lead to problems. Having additional children or getting divorced can cause problems, if you do not change your estate plan. Tax law changes could make your old estate plan ineffectual.

You should plan to update your estate plan every time your life changes significantly. If you get married, change your plan. If you start a new business, change your plan. Any significant life event that has occurred since you first created your estate plan may trigger a needed change or two in your estate plan. You should also plan on meeting with your estate planning attorney every few years to make sure that your plan takes into account any changes to tax laws. If you do not, your plan might not do what you think it should do.

For additional information on updating your estate plan in Houston, please visit my website.

Reference:Forbes (July 3, 2014) “Why You Should Update Your Estate Plan”