If you already have estate planning documents in place (great job, for being on top of your game at some point), the general recommendation is to review them at least every 5 years.  Even if you don't meet me to review them for you (because, yes, there is a charge), you should pull them out for yourself, sit down with a beverage of your choice and check for the following:

• all people named in your documents to assist you when you become elderly or disabled are still living and mentally competent,
• your assets have not significantly increased or decreased,
• your children haven't grown from being minors to adults with different needs and abilities,
• you haven't become a grandparent with a desire to provide for your grandchildren,
• you haven't gotten divorced, remarried or widowed,
• your general wishes are still the same regarding who gets how much of your assets (and again, everyone is still living),
• your wishes for your end of life care haven't changed or become more clear with a specific risk or diagnosis,
• your risk of dementia, Alzheimer's, or other incapacitating diseases, is low or you have your assets in a trust with appropriate transfers of administrative power from yourself to the next trustee, or
• major estate tax, power of attorney, trust or probate laws haven't changed (Hint: these do change regularly).

Chances are, you have been lax in this kind of housekeeping (10 years? 15 years? 20 years? Haven't started?), and it's time to get after it, or put a date on the calendar to do it in the next month or two as spring fever sets in.  If everything looks current and in line with your goals, then you could put your plans away for another few years. If circumstances have changed, you should come in for an official review and update.  You may be unaware of changes in law (just a few include a new federal estate tax exemption level, power of attorney statute (WA), transfer on death deed statute (WA), and directed trust statute (WA)), the general approach to planning may have changed over time, new tools may be available, and you may have something more or less complex than necessary to most efficiently achieve a conflict-free transfer (probate or trust administration) of your assets to your loved ones after your death. 

Inaccurate planning can be worse than no planning.

If you need assistance with updates, or new planning altogether, call Megan Lewis Law, PLLC at (509) 557-7797 for estate planning and probate in Spokane or virtually by email, phone and Skype in Seattle, Olympia, Bellingham, and across Washington state.

This is a stressful career. Laws are always changing, personalities are tough to deal with, and as a solo practitioner, the buck stops here. I feel such a sense of responsibility to my clients to use all the tools in my estate planning, probate, business and tax toolbox to make their lives and the lives of their loved ones easier. Sometimes my resolve waivers, the technical and administrative aspects overwhelm me, or I have too many projects going at once, but then a new client walks in the door with a story about someone who just died and the house is already on the market with a buyer and they were told they have to open a probate before they can sign as the seller. My heart goes out to my clients on a daily basis because these concepts and legal requirements are so foreign to most people who don't deal with it every day. 

I have recently made many trips to and spent many hours at the doctor's office with my physician husband who is battling cancer with surgery, chemo and radiation therapy treatments. While sitting there, I'm often struck by how many different battles we all face every day from so many different directions.  How much information is available to us and how unprepared we all are to sift through it to separate the wheat from the chaff, the fake news from the real, or just the most appropriate from all the rest.  I believe one of the most important services I provide to my clients is education. I make sure to take the time to explain how and why things work, what their options are, and answer their questions. I also love getting to know my clients in the process and learning about their past experiences, present concerns, and future goals. The best parts of this career are the people I meet and the relationships I form.

Happy new year to all of my wonderful clients, their families, and anyone struggling with the inevitable challenges in life.  I wish for all of us a new year that is just a little bit easier, more peaceful, and abundant with all the good things. If I can help achieve that, even if just by checking off that resolution to get your estate planning done, or setting up that business you've always wanted to start, call Megan Lewis Law, PLLC at (509) 557-7797.