Life can get in the way of an estate plan if changes are not taken into consideration.
Basic and all too frequent problems can arise if people do not match the changes in their lives to their estate plans, according to the Wicked Local Dedham in “Five things that can derail your estate plan.”
Typical problems include:
- The law has a lot to say about spousal inheritances. In most states, if there is no other legal agreement between spouses, a surviving spouse gets half of the deceased spouse’s estate. If spouses divorce, the ex-spouse is automatically written out of a will. A change in marital status can, therefore, make a current estate plan useless.
- If someone who was supposed to inherit a large portion of your estate passes away, it will have an impact on your current estate plan.
- If an heir or beneficiary develops problems, your current plan may not distribute the inheritance as you would have intended.
- You can get a trust but if you do not fund the plan, it will not work as you intended. It might not even work at all.
- If you move to another state, your old estate plan might not be as effective because of a difference in the laws between the two states.
An estate planning attorney can advise you on updating your plan to meet changes that occur.
Reference: Wicked Local Dedham (April 15, 2018) “Five things that can derail your estate plan.”
