Why a checklist matters now

Life changes — moving to a new state, getting married, having a child, inheriting property, or buying a business — are common triggers that should prompt an immediate estate-plan review. An up-to-date plan avoids unintended results, speeds asset transfer, and reduces stress for heirs. In my 15 years of financial-planning practice and after helping dozens of clients who moved across state lines or added heirs, I’ve seen how small oversights (wrong beneficiary names, unfunded trusts) create major headaches for families.

Below is a practical, prioritized checklist you can use right after a major life change. Each item explains why it matters, what to look for, and when to seek professional help.

Immediate actions (within 7–30 days)

  • Locate your current estate documents. Know where originals are stored and who else has copies. Tell your executor/trustee and agents the location and how to access them.
  • Check beneficiary designations. Accounts that bypass your will — life insurance, IRAs, 401(k)s, and some brokerage accounts — pay to the named beneficiary. If you moved, added a spouse, or welcomed a child, update these forms first. See our guide on how beneficiary designations interact with your will for more detail: How Beneficiary Designations Interact with Your Will.
  • Review powers of attorney and advance directives. If you moved states or changed representatives, update your durable financial power of attorney and healthcare proxy. State rules differ on who can serve and how documents are executed; consult our practical guide: Healthcare and Financial Power of Attorney: When to Start and How to Choose.

Why first? Beneficiary forms and powers of attorney control immediate control and payouts; errors here cause the most operational problems for survivors.

Legal documents to review or prepare (30–90 days)

  1. Last Will and Testament
  • Confirm named executor, guardians for minor children, and specific bequests. If you moved to a state with materially different probate laws, have your will reviewed by a local estate attorney.
  1. Revocable living trust (if applicable)
  1. Pour-over will
  • If you have a trust, a pour-over will catches assets not transferred to the trust during your lifetime.
  1. Durable powers of attorney and HIPAA authorization
  • Confirm agents’ willingness and ability to serve; choose alternates. Ensure the HIPAA authorization lets agents access medical records.
  1. Digital asset plan and password access
  • Inventory accounts (email, social media, crypto, digital photos). Provide secure access instructions and name a digital executor.
  1. Titles and deeds
  • If you purchased or received real estate in a new state, check title ownership and local transfer taxes. Transfer or retitle property into trusts only after legal advice.

Situational checklist: movers

  • Re-evaluate state laws: probate, spousal rights, and required marriage provisions vary by state. A move may require new documents or a simple re-execution of existing ones under local formalities.
  • Update property deeds and vehicle titles to reflect the new legal residence if ownership structure needs to change.
  • Revisit long-term care and Medicaid planning assumptions. Medicaid rules are state-specific and can affect asset protection strategies.

Practical tip: after a move, ask a local estate attorney to confirm whether your existing documents are fully valid in the new jurisdiction. Some states accept out-of-state wills; others may require re-execution.

Situational checklist: adding heirs (marriage, birth, adoption)

  • Update beneficiary forms and amend wills or trusts to reflect new heirs.
  • Name guardians and successor trustees for minor children; create testamentary or living trusts to manage inheritance until children reach an age you choose.
  • Consider life insurance and funding plans for education or special needs trusts.

In my practice I recommend parents set up segregated subtrusts for minor heirs with clear distribution rules (age milestones, education milestones, or trustee discretion) to reduce conflicts and protect assets from creditors.

Situational checklist: acquiring significant or unusual assets

  • Business interests: update buy-sell agreements, operating agreements, and consider succession governance documents to preserve value and continuity.
  • Real estate in multiple states: plan for ancillary probate in state where property sits; consider ownership structures (LLC, trust) to simplify administration.
  • Digital and crypto assets: include access instructions, custodian info, and coherent valuation notes.

If you add an asset to a trust, confirm funding steps (changing title, beneficiary, or registration) and record-keeping to prove the change to fiduciaries.

Who to notify and what records to keep

  • Notify: executor/trustee, named agents, insurance agents, and financial institutions of key changes or where to find documents.
  • Keep copies: signed wills, trust agreements, deeds, beneficiary forms, powers of attorney, life insurance policies, and a current asset inventory with account numbers and custodian contact info.
  • Store originals in a fireproof safe, safe-deposit box, or with your attorney; ensure your chosen fiduciaries can access them when needed.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Relying on a single, outdated beneficiary form. When you change employers, roll over retirement accounts, or purchase new policies, update beneficiaries immediately.
  • Assuming a trust is effective without funding it. Unfunded trusts are a frequent and costly oversight.
  • Overlooking digital accounts and small-dollar assets that create administrative burdens if not documented.
  • Naming an incapacitated or unavailable person as agent without alternates.

Timing and review cadence

  • Review at these milestones: after any move, birth/adoption, marriage/divorce, major asset purchases, retirement, and every 3–5 years as a routine check.
  • Trigger-based reviews beat calendar reminders; any event that changes family, financial, or health status should prompt a review.

Questions to ask your estate attorney or planner

  • Does my move change the probate path or tax exposure for my estate?
  • Are my beneficiary designations consistent with my will and trust?
  • Have you reviewed the trust funding status and real-property deeds?
  • Do I need a specialized trust (for minors, special needs, or creditor protection)?

Useful resources and citations (current as of 2025)

  • IRS estate and gift tax resources: https://www.irs.gov (see “Estate Tax” topics) — for federal filing rules and resources.
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: https://www.consumerfinance.gov — for consumer-facing guides to estate planning and probate.

Internal resources from FinHelp:

Final professional tips

  • Keep communications clear. Brief letter summaries for heirs and agents reduce misunderstandings when the time comes.
  • Use staggered versions of control: name successor agents and periodic trustee reporting to beneficiaries to improve trust governance.
  • Use a simple, current asset inventory with custodian contact info — with instructions on where to find passwords or password manager access.

Professional disclaimer: This article is educational and reflects best practices as of 2025. It is not legal advice. Consult a licensed estate planning attorney in your state for legal guidance tailored to your circumstances.