Keeping Your Will Current

Posted on April 20, 2020 by Lifesong Funerals under funeral home
Comments Off on Keeping Your Will Current

Long before thinking about funerals at funeral homes in Tallahassee, FL, you may have created a will. You know you did it. You think you know where it is. You are fairly certain you know what’s in it.

funeral homes in Tallahassee, FL

However, if you have a will (if you don’t, you should), you very likely created it a while back. You may have created it when you got married. You may have created it when you had or adopted children. There was likely a very compelling reason why you decided to create a will.

However, there may be a lot of water that has gone under the bridge since you originally created your will. Life has changed. You have change. Your family has changed. And the odds are good that much of that information in the will has changed or needs to be changed.

A will does little good if the information in it is obsolete or wrong. Wills, like people, are living instruments that we create to protect the ones we love. Therefore, we should take the time to regularly to review them to make sure they accurately reflect current circumstances and our current wishes.

So, how often should you review and/or update your will?

The short answer is any time something changes with your assets or with your family status.

However, if this is your first time reviewing your will in a long time, before you consider asset changes and family status changes, consider whom you have named as the executor of your will.

The role of executor is one of the most important in ensuring that your family is protected and taken care of after you die. Because of that, you need to make sure that the executor you named to execute your will is still the same person as the person you originally designated.

It may be that the person you named as your executor is no longer alive. It may be that the person you named as your executor was a close friend or acquaintance at the time, but that acquaintance faded away over the years or the friendship changed and you are no longer even in touch with each other or know anything about each other’s lives.

It may be that the person you named as executor is still very much a part of your life, but no longer has the capability of being your executor. They may have mental health issues or they may suffering from a type of dementia that has left them mentally or emotionally incapacitated.

Whatever the case, it’s time to talk with someone who is currently close in your life about being your executor, and then make sure your will gets changed to name the new executor.

The other change that you may need to make is in the people you’ve designated as legal guardians for your children. If your children are still minors, but the people who are named as legal guardians are no longer living or do not have the financial resources to take care of your children, then you may consider changing the legal guardians who will be able to adequately care for your children if you die.

Asset changes and family status changes that require that you update your will can include:

  • Marriage
  • Divorce
  • Childbirth or adoption
  • Death of beneficiaries and heirs
  • Large real property purchases or sales (homes, vehicles, businesses, etc.)
  • Changes in financial status (including paid off or newly acquired debts, such as mortgages)
  • Opening or closing a business

If you want to know more about will reviews at funeral homes in Tallahassee, FL, our compassionate and experienced staff at Lifesong Funerals & Cremations can help. You can come by our funeral home at 20 S. Duval St., Quincy, FL 32351, or you can contact us today at (850) 627-1111.

Lifesong Funerals

We have nearly twenty years serving families of all backgrounds. These families turn to us in their time of need because they are aware that we are leaders in our vocation, have the highest level of integrity and are committed to providing quality service.

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