Updating estate planning documents

If you haven’t done your will preparation or updated other estate planning documents, it’s time to do so. The process is simple and it’s very worthwhile. The people you leave behind will thank you, because it’s hard enough to mourn the death of a loved one without being mired in paperwork, confusion and red tape too.

If you already have your estate planning documents set up, it may be time to update them. It’s important to review them regularly to be sure that they still match your intentions and that there haven’t been any significant changes in circumstances.

That last point was brought home to me recently in a bad way, because the person I had appointed as executor (if my husband was unable to act as executor) passed away.

It’s depressing. It’s been just over a month, and I still haven’t made the phone call that I know I need to make so that I can get the change made. I need to appoint someone different, but who?

Ideally they should be someone who is younger than me, who is responsible about money, who has a similar outlook, and who lives nearby. (Because being an executor requires a lot of running around and going through paperwork — I know; I’ve been one.)

The problem is that I just don’t know anyone like that, other than my husband (who is already the first choice) or my son (who is too young.)

I think I may have to go with an attorney or bank as a stopgap, or else choose someone who isn’t local. (Although I hate to do that to someone.)

Oh well. At the very least I have it written into my calendar now. Gotta start somewhere.