Do You Need To Update Your Will?

Below is a guest post from Attorney, Susan Grissom. Susan has been a friend for many years and has developed a nice law practice just north of Atlanta in Johns Creek, Georgia. Susan is a member of the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce and the Buckhead Rotary Club. To learn more about Susan and her firm visit Grissom Law

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By Susan Grissom

I am asked often, how often should I update my will? There is no single answer to this question; however, the following are examples of events that would likely cause your will to need to be updated.

  • Marriage – unless your Will is written in contemplation of marriage and includes statements to this effect, you should revise your Will.
  • Divorce – unless your Will is written in the contemplation of your divorce and includes a statement to this effect, you should revise your Will.
  • Birth of a Child or Children – if your Will was written prior to children, you should revise your Will to include naming of Guardians; if your Will was written when you had children but you have added children, you should review your Will to insure that the Guardians named are still appropriate considering the larger family and stage of life.
  • Change in Financial Circumstances – if your financial circumstances have changed, you should review your Will to insure that it still disposes of your assets appropriately considering the change in finances.
    • If your finances have improved, does the Will address Estate taxes adequately?
    • If your finncial situation has worsened, do you have gifts included in your will that will deplete your estate?
  • Other Changes: Has any of the named Executors, Trustees, Guardians etc. named in your Will changed in any manner that would exclude them from serving in their role?

If any of the events listed above have occurred, you should visit an attorney to review your Will. They should examine it and determine if it is appropriate to completely rewrite your Will or ammend it with a Codicil. At Grissom Law, LLC we will always meet with you to review your current Will as it relates to your current circumstances. Call us today at 678-781-9230 or e-mail sgrissom@grissomlawfirm.com to schedule a consultation.

 

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