My father only designated my mom as an agent on power of attorney forms, and they have not been updated in many years. Where do you think we should go from here?
Various studies show that most adults have not prepared a legal will. However, the point I’m really trying to make is that everyone has a will in a way—just not one that they have executed.
However, if you get no further than scribbling notes or thinking about which lawyer to hire, you risk dying “intestate”—without a will that could guide your loved ones, head off family feuds and potentially save your family thousands of dollars.
Beneficiary designations are a crucial part of estate planning, yet they are often overlooked. Once you have signed your estate planning documents, you need to make sure that your beneficiary designations are consistent with the rest of your estate plan.
Updating one’s estate planning documents involves changes to one’s trust, will and/or designation of death beneficiaries, as relevant. To be effective, such updates must be done correctly.