Wondering Whether You Need to Update Your Estate Plan?
Here’s How to Tell.
Most estate plans are created during a major life moment, such as the birth of a child, a marriage, a new home, or retirement. At the time, the plan feels complete. Everything is handled. The documents are signed. Life moves on.
What often does not happen is a meaningful review years later. That does not mean something is wrong with your plan. It usually means life kept moving.
Estate Plans Age Even When Nothing Feels Broken
We often hear, “Nothing has really changed.” But when we slow down and walk through the last five or ten years, the changes are usually there. Children grow up. Parents begin to need support. Assets shift. Relationships evolve. Laws change quietly in the background.
An estate plan that made perfect sense years ago may no longer reflect how your life actually looks today.
A Familiar Example
Consider a couple like Robert and Anne. They created a will-based plan when their children were young, updated it when their family grew, and later moved to a trust-based plan. They felt confident everything was in place.
Then time passed.
Their children became adults. Grandchildren entered the picture. One grandchild may need long-term support. They purchased a second home in another state. Their pets changed.
None of these changes were dramatic on their own. But together, they raised important questions. When should adult children receive an inheritance now that they are financially independent? Should gifts to grandchildren be structured differently, especially when special needs or future education costs are involved? Does an out-of-state property fit cleanly into the existing plan, or could it trigger an extra probate later? Do pet provisions still reflect who and what actually needs to be protected?
The plan was not wrong. It was simply written for a different season of life.
Common Life Changes That Trigger a Review
You do not need a crisis to justify revisiting your estate plan. A review is often appropriate after major changes, including:
- A move, especially between states like Alabama and Florida
- The birth of a child or grandchild
- Children reaching adulthood
- Marriage, remarriage, or divorce
- A death in the family
- A new home, business, or significant asset
- Health changes for you or someone you care for
- Changes in who you trust to serve as a decision maker
- A plan that has not been reviewed in several years
Even without a single major event, the passage of time alone can create gaps between your plan and your reality.
Laws Change Too
Estate planning is not static. The tools available today may differ from those used when your documents were signed. State-specific rules, especially between Alabama and Florida, can affect how property passes, how incapacity is handled, and whether probate can be avoided. A plan that once worked well may benefit from updated strategies or adjustments based on current law.
So, Do You Need to Update Your Estate Plan?
Not always. But you do need to review it. If it has been three to five years since you last looked at your plan, or if your life looks meaningfully different than it did when you signed those documents, it is worth making sure your plan still reflects your goals.
Estate planning is not about constantly rewriting documents. It is about keeping your plan aligned with the people, responsibilities, and priorities that matter to you now. If you are unsure where to start, that uncertainty alone is often the answer.
Estate planning is not something you set once and forget.
If your life has changed or it has been several years since your last review, the next step is simply to take a look. Schedule an estate plan review with Heircraft Planning.
