Your estate planning documents, or your lack thereof, may not be at the top of your mind upon departing on a trip. But perhaps it should be. Continue reading to learn what initiatives you should take with your estate plan before traveling and how an experienced Putnam County estate planning attorney at the Law Office of Andres D. Gil, PLLC can help you get these tasks quickly squared away.
What initiatives should I take with my estate plan before traveling?
Well, if you do not already have an estate plan, it is strongly encouraged that you make one prior to your travels. You may not plan to participate in anything seemingly dangerous during your vacation, but unfortunately in the matter of estate planning, it is almost always recommended to prepare for the worst. For example, you may fall victim to a deadly aviation, boating, or auto accident. Or, you may incur life-altering or life-threatening illnesses when visiting a foreign country, or injuries when participating in a physical activity (i.e., hiking, skiing, ziplining, horseback riding, etc).
And if you do already have an estate plan, it is in your best interest to take the following initiatives:
- You must recall where you stored away your estate planning documents (i.e., in a safe deposit box at the bank, in a fireproof box in your home, etc).
- You must inform your loved ones on how they may retrieve your estate planning documents in the event of a tragic accident (i.e., passcodes, security questions, etc).
- You must establish any new documents that can fill the holes in your estate (i.e., a trust, power of attorney, guardianship, advanced healthcare directive, etc).
- You must circle back to any pre-existing documents and make edits that better coincide with your current life situation; for example:
- You must add beneficiary designations to grandchildren that you have since welcomed to your family.
- You must add a coexecutor who may step up if your primary executor becomes incapacitated or otherwise unwilling to take on this duty.
- You must update your personal information in case you have since changed your name, changed your address, changed your net income, etc.
When should I take these initiatives with my estate plan?
Though you may find this less than ideal, it may be better to prioritize your estate planning matters over your travel planning matters. This is for the sake of your loved ones who you may, unfortunately, leave behind in the event of a tragic accident. It may help to set your first travel date as the deadline for which to complete the above initiatives.
Undoubtedly, there is much to consider with your estate plan. This is why your next order of business should be to initiate a conversation with a skilled Putnam County estate planning attorney. Someone at the Law Office of Andres D. Gil, PLLC will be awaiting your phone call.