When your life changes in a monumental way, such as becoming widowed, remarrying, divorcing, financial windfall, large asset purchase, having or adopting a child, and so forth, it is time to take a look at your estate plan to determine what changes are needed. It is easy to get caught up in the new life you are facing and forget things such as changing your will to reflect a new or lost family member or choosing another trustee to replace someone no longer in your life.

You’ll need to go back to asking yourself the same questions that you did when you first did estate planning to determine if anything has changed:

• Who do you want to appoint to provide for your children?
• Who do you want to make medical decisions for you if you are unable?
• Who do you want to make financial decisions and perform financial transactions for you if you are unable?
• Who are to be the heirs of your estate and what do you wish them to have upon your death?
• Is your current spouse on any community property or is it with a previous spouse still?
• Do you have a trusted person to act as trustee for your estate? Has that changed?
• Do you need a simple trust as part of your estate planning?

If you are now part of a blended family, you will also have to consider any stepchildren or separate property and how that factors into your estate planning decisions. The key is taking care of your estate planning so you have peace of mind about what will happen should an emergency arise, or you are gone so that your family isn’t left with a complex situation to iron out.

If you would like to discuss estate planning due to transitional changes in your life or get started with estate planning, you should look for a reputable estate planning attorney in your area. They can help you make the best decisions and prepare the right documents for this juncture in your life.