Houston Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney Blog
It takes initiative and forethought to create an estate plan, and if you have taken the step to draft and finalize your plan, you are on the right track. One of the next important questions then becomes: when should you update the estate plan you’ve created? Today, we review some basic guidelines to help you consider whether or not updating your estate plan is the right move for you.
Time
The first principle to guide your estate plan updates is that once three to five years have passed since drafting the plan, you should think about revisions. It’s possible the legal landscape has changed, or there might be life circumstances affecting your plan that you haven’t considered.
Refreshing your estate plan every three to five years also helps you make sure you are still happy with what you’ve included in your documents, and it keeps you in consistent communication with your beneficiaries. We find that the more our clients are involved in their own estate planning processes, the more they talk with their loved ones about what the plan will be when they pass, and the more their loved ones can be adequately prepared for when that moment comes.
Life Circumstances
A second way to tell that it might be time to update your estate plan is if you’ve experienced a change in life circumstances. These changes could include: getting married, having a child or grandchild, getting divorced, starting or selling a business, coming into an inheritance, buying or selling property, or experiencing the death of a beneficiary.
With every change in circumstances comes a possible hole in your estate plan, and it’s always better to err on the safe side when making sure your plan is consistent with your current relational, financial, and business affairs.
Do You Need a Houston Estate Planning Attorney in Your Corner?
It can be difficult to know for sure whether updating your estate plan is the right next step for you. When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to consult a Houston estate planning attorney that can look at your circumstances and tell you whether you might need to reconsider or redraft any pieces of the plan. One essential part of any estate plan is that it makes the probate process as easy as possible on your beneficiaries and loved ones, and by staying up to date with your estate plan, you can make sure your heirs are in good hands when you pass.
At McCulloch & Miller, looking out for our clients’ best interests is our specialty. We have been in the estate planning business for over three decades, and we would be honored to speak with you for a consultation, no matter where you are in the process. If you would like to set up a meeting with one of our Houston estate planning attorneys, give us a call today at 713-936-9073. You can also fill out our online form to tell us about yourself and have a member of our team reach back out to you as soon as possible.