Florida Estate Planning Lawyer Blog
Your Florida Estate Planning Lawyer should tell you that your Florida will is a living document and must be updated regularly based on changes in your circumstances, the laws, and the assets you own.
Life is full of change, and when your life changes you Florida Will should be evaluated for potential updates. Some Jacksonville Estate Planning Lawyers prefer to update Florida Wills with a Codicil. A codicil is just an amendment to a will. Often when there are more than one amendments or the Florida Will and Florida Codicil conflict with each other, it may be more difficult for your personal representative to understand and carry out the instructions on the decedent.
It is for that reason, that often the original Florida Will is rewritten in its entirety. With word processing it is often the same work to create a new Florida Will as a Codicil.
You should review your Florida Will and other Florida Estate Planning Documents on a regular basis. One idea is to pick a date, and every year, just like with a birthday, you sit down and review your Florida Estate Planning Documents for changes.
Some examples of life events that might require a change are:
Death of someone named in the will Death of a Personal representative.
Change in financial situation Change in Family members Change in the needs of one or more beneficiaries Moving Marriage Divorce Concern for or change in Pets might require a Florida Pet Trust, or modification to your will.
Acquisition of Firearms or items that you may not want to go to a specific beneficiary.
Make sure to keep your Florida Will in a safe place and make sure those who will need access to it know where and how to locate the Florida Will.