Estate planning documents require periodic review.
Many things in life require maintenance.
Automobiles require oil changes and replacement of parts, such as headlights, spark plugs, and batteries.
Houses need new roofs, flushing of water heaters, and gutter cleaning.
According to a recent Kiplinger article titled "An Attorney's Guide to Your Evolving Estate Plan: Set-It-and-Forget-It Won't Work," estate planning documents require occasional reviews.
When life changes occur, it is essential to update your estate planning documents.
Life events like moving states should trigger an estate plan check-up.
Significant life changes should prompt a review and update of trusts and last wills.
What are considered life-changing events?
These events include marriages, births, deaths, and moves.
Consider what happens when you move to a different state.
Your estate planning documents may no longer be valid or effective due to changes in probate and estate laws.
You may have enjoyed certain estate planning benefits in your original state of residence.
To achieve similar results, you may need to adjust your estate planning strategies and documents.
When you move to a new state, you should schedule a consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney to run a check-up for recommended changes to your documents.
After couples have welcomed children into their hearts and homes, their estate planning goals and needs will shift.
They must designate guardians to rear minor children should something happen to both parents.
Those selected should share the same values as the parents and be willing and able to take on this responsibility.
As years pass, the individual selected to serve as executor or trustee to your estate may no longer be capable of fulfilling these duties after moving, accumulating birthdays, or dying.
It is practical to have someone nearby who is capable of assuming this responsibility.
People tend to grow their wealth over time.
They may acquire more complex assets, such as investments, real estate, or inheritances.
Suppose friends or family are not qualified to manage these complicated assets.
In that case, it may be wise to appoint a professional executor to oversee the settlement and management of the estate.
A professional executor can also be a wise choice for those who have loved ones prone to arguments or estate battles.
People should also review the sufficiency of their estate plans when they have added digital assets to their portfolio.
A digital executor should have access to information on how to manage cryptocurrencies or other digital assets.
It is essential to create and regularly update an inventory of online accounts to help protect you and your loved ones from cybercrimes related to these accounts, such as identity theft.
It is pretty standard for federal and state legislators to make changes to estate regulation and tax laws.
Unless you are an estate planning attorney or a CPA, you are unlikely to understand the nuances of these changes.
If more than a decade has passed since your last estate plan review, schedule a consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney as soon as possible.
Estate planning is not a "set it and forget it" project.
Accordingly, it does not lend itself to a "one and done" mindset.
Instead, think of estate planning as a lifelong process.
As personal and legislative changes occur, your estate plan will need to be updated to account for them.
By reviewing your estate planning documents regularly with an experienced estate planning attorney, you will be able to make the necessary adjustments to continue to protect your loved ones and your assets.
As we say at Harvest Law KC, "we help you protect everyone you love and everything you have through estate planning as unique as you are."
This post is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice on any specific issue or problem. Nothing herein creates an attorney-client relationship between Harvest Law KC and the reader.
Reference: Kiplinger (Aug. 15, 2025) "An Attorney's Guide to Your Evolving Estate Plan: Set-It-and-Forget-It Won't Work"
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