No estate plan is a one-and-done plan. Life changes over time, and estate plans must reflect those changes, says a recent article from Kiplinger, “An Attorney’s Guide to Your Evolving Estate Plan: Set-It-and-Forget-It Won’t Work.”

To be sure that your wishes are followed and loved ones are protected, it’s critical to revisit wills, trusts and related documents regularly and after major trigger events, like marriage, birth, death and moving.

Moving to a new state might make your estate plan invalid. Estate and probate laws vary from state to state. Some of the benefits you enjoy in one state might present pitfalls in another state. Meet with an estate planning attorney from your new state of residence to review your estate plan and be sure it will work for you, not against you.

If your children are minors, your will names a guardian to raise them in case of your death. However, is the same person you named when they were very young ready to take care of teenagers?

The same may be said about the person you named to be your executor or personal representative of your will or a trustee in charge of your trust. You may no longer be close with the original person, or they may have moved or died.

If your life has become complicated over time, or if you have added complex assets, like a business or inherited wealth, it may make more sense to have a professional executor in charge. Sometimes, family or friends are not qualified to manage complex estates. If your family engages in fights regularly, naming a professional could spare your friends or loved ones the stress of refereeing unwinnable battles.

Adding digital assets should also be addressed by your estate plan. If you own cryptocurrency, have you created a document with key information for a digital executor? Creating an inventory of online accounts is a time-consuming task. Still, without it, your social media pages may never depart, leaving your estate and loved ones vulnerable to cybercrime, including identity theft.

The past few years have seen huge changes in tax law and estate regulations. Unless you’re an estate planning attorney or a CPA, chances are you’re not familiar with all the changes and nuances. Have an estate planning attorney review your estate plan to be sure it still works, especially if it’s been more than ten years since it was last updated.

Finally, an estate plan is never a one-time task. It’s a living document and needs to evolve along with you as your family grows, your wealth expands, or your state of residence changes. Revisiting wills, trusts and other estate planning documents regularly ensures that your intentions will be honored.

Reference: Kiplinger (Aug. 15, 2025) “An Attorney’s Guide to Your Evolving Estate Plan: Set-It-and-Forget-It Won’t Work”