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You may not want to taint the anticipation of your upcoming trip with morbid thoughts, such as the possibility of getting into a catastrophic accident that results in serious injury, illness, or death. But you must understand that these are all very real possibilities. To emphasize this fact, it must be said that, in car travel alone, approximately nine people die per day throughout the state of Florida. This is why, before taking off, it is in your best interest to get your estate planning documents in order. Follow along to find out why you should review your estate plan before traveling and how a proficient Broward County estate lawyer at The Probate Lawyers can help you stay on top of making necessary changes.

Why should I review my estate planning documents before traveling?

Though you may have never personally heard of this before, it is commonly suggested to set a deadline for reviewing your estate planning documents, and making updates as necessary, before your next scheduled travel date. This is because, during your travels, you may be unfortunately involved in any of the following catastrophic accidents:

  • You may incur a serious illness from a foreign country you visit during your travels.
  • You may incur a serious injury from an excursion you participate in during your travels.
  • You may, unfortunately, pass on from an auto accident or aviation accident en route to your planned trip.

Pointing out these potentially dangerous incidents is not meant to scare you or otherwise deter you from traveling. Rather, it is meant to get you to take the initiative to review the following components of your estate plan:

  • Review that your beneficiary designations still accurately reflect your family dynamic.
  • Review that your directions for estate distribution still accurately reflect the assets in your possession.
  • Review that your appointments for guardians, trustees, and executors still accurately reflect those who are able and willing to serve these duties.

Under what other circumstances should I review my estate plan?

In addition to traveling, it is recommended to review and update your estate plan whenever there is a significant change of pace in your life. Without further ado, the following circumstances may warrant such editing:

  • You receive a significant inheritance as the beneficiary of a loved one, which comes with certain estate and tax implications.
  • You move to the state of Florida from another state, or vice versa, where estate and tax laws differ.
  • You sell your house or other high-value assets that are no longer distributable.
  • You now have minor grandchildren that need to be added to your estate plan.
  • You now have a loved one who is incapacitated and thereby has certain needs in your estate plan.
  • You now have purchased long-term care insurance to help pay for the costs of an unfortunate illness or injury.

Undoubtedly, there is a lot to be considered with editing an estate plan. So please initiate a conversation with a talented Broward County estate lawyer as soon as possible. Someone at The Probate Lawyers is awaiting your phone call.