Is It Time to Update Your Estate Planning?
Pullman & Comley Trusts and Estates Attorney Lauren C. Davies authored the ABA Family Advocate article, “Is It Time to Update Your Estate Planning?” In the piece, she emphasizes the importance of reviewing and updating your estate plan, particularly during major life events such as divorce, remarriage, or the birth of a child, to ensure your wishes are properly documented and followed.
Lauren outlines the core components of a comprehensive estate plan, including a Last Will and Testament, Advance Health Care Directives, powers of attorney and various types of trusts. She also underscores the importance of reviewing beneficiary designations, especially after divorce, to prevent unintended outcomes. The article offers practical guidance for individuals navigating transitions, such as moving between states or blending families and stresses the value of periodic reviews, even when no major life event has occurred. “It is best not to leave the result to chance and ensure that your assets will go in accordance with your wishes on your death,” she writes.
This article originally appeared in the ABA's Family Advocate; it is republished here with permission.
To read the full article, please click on the PDF linked below.