You should review your estate plan every 3–5 years or after major life events.

Common triggers include:

• Marriage, divorce, or legal separation
• Birth or adoption of a child or grandchild
• Death or incapacity of a beneficiary, executor, or trustee
• Significant financial changes, including business ownership or asset growth
• Buying or selling real estate
• Moving to or from California
• Changes in state or federal tax laws

Even without a major event, periodic reviews help keep everything aligned.

An estate plan includes multiple documents that work together.

Updates may involve:

• Revocable living trust
• Will, including a pour-over will if you have a trust
• Durable power of attorney
• Advance health care directive
• Beneficiary designations on:
  • Life insurance
  • Retirement accounts
  • Payable-on-death accounts

Each piece should be reviewed together to avoid conflicts.

You cannot make informal edits to an existing will.

In California, updates are handled by:

• Creating a codicil: A formal amendment signed and witnessed like the original will
• Drafting a new will: Often preferred to avoid confusion or conflicting provisions

For many people, replacing the will is the cleaner option.

Yes. Most revocable living trusts allow for amendments.

• Trust amendment used for targeted updates
• Trust restatement replaces the full document while keeping the original trust in place

The right approach depends on how extensive the changes are.

Outdated documents can lead to unintended results.

Potential issues include:

• Assets passing to the wrong person
• Former spouses or outdated fiduciaries remaining in control
• Conflicts between your documents and account designations
• Delays in administration or court involvement

Small oversights can have lasting consequences.

California law may revoke certain provisions in favor of a former spouse. Under California Probate Code § 6122, gifts and fiduciary appointments in a will may be revoked after divorce. However, this rule does not consistently apply to trusts and does not apply to beneficiary designations. A full review of your estate plan after divorce is still necessary.

Yes. Beneficiary designations operate independently from your will or trust.

Key points:

• These assets pass outside of probate
• Financial institutions follow the most recent designation on file
• Courts often enforce those designations even if they conflict with your estate documents

Life insurance and retirement accounts should be reviewed regularly.

Yes, it is a good idea to review your plan after relocating.

• Documents from another state may still be valid
• They may not reflect California-specific rules
• Differences in probate and community property laws can affect outcomes

A review helps ensure your plan works as intended under California law.

A general guideline:

• Every 3–5 years
• After any major life event
• When tax laws change

A review does not always lead to changes, but it confirms that everything still reflects your wishes.

Conflicts can create delays and disputes.

Examples include:

• A trust naming one beneficiary while an account lists another
• Outdated powers of attorney that no longer reflect your choices
• Multiple amendments that create unclear instructions

Consistency across documents is key.