Estate plan updates
Your life has changed. Your estate plan probably hasn't.
Marriage, divorce, a new business, a new home, kids who are now adults, any of these can make an existing plan work against you instead of for you.
Signs your plan needs a review
It’s been more than three years since your last update.
You’ve bought or sold real estate, started a business, or had a major life event.
Your children were minors when the plan was drafted and are now adults.
You’re not sure your assets are actually inside your trust.
Why updates matter
An outdated plan can cause as many problems as no plan at all.
Most estate plans are written once and forgotten. But the law changes, families change, and assets change. A trust that was perfectly structured in 2015 may have significant gaps today. Especially if you’ve bought a new home, started a business, remarried, or had a falling-out with someone named in the documents.
We review plans drafted by any attorney, in any state. You don’t need to have been our client before to get a review.
Life events that trigger a review
When should you call us?
Any of these changes can affect whether your plan still works the way you intended.
Family changes
Marriage or remarriage · Divorce · Birth or adoption of a child · Death of a beneficiary or trustee · Children reaching adulthood · Blended family changes
Asset changes
Purchase or sale of real estate · New retirement accounts or life insurance · Significant increase in net worth · Inherited assets · Business ownership changes
Other triggers
Moving to Utah from another state · Change in relationship with a trustee or beneficiary · Serious health diagnosis · More than three years since last review
What a review includes
A structured review, not just a glance at your documents.
1
Document review
We read your existing trust, will, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives in full.
2
Funding check
We confirm whether your assets are actually titled inside your trust. The step most people skip.
3
Gap analysis
We identify what needs updating, what can stay, and why, in plain language you can act on.
4
Update & reissue
We prepare amendments or restate the plan entirely, depending on what’s most efficient for your situation.
Common Questions
Questions about updating an existing plan.
Can you review a plan drafted by a different attorney?
Yes. We review plans from any attorney in any state. You don’t need to have been our client previously. We’ll tell you honestly what’s working and what isn’t.
Is it better to amend my existing trust or start over?
It depends on how much has changed and how well-structured the original plan is. Sometimes an amendment is cleanest; sometimes a full restatement is more efficient and less confusing for your successor trustee. We’ll recommend what’s right for your situation.
What if my trust was done in another state?
Trusts generally transfer across states, but the supporting documents, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, often need to be updated to comply with Utah law. We’ll identify what needs to change.
How much does an update cost?
Updates are flat-fee, based on what needs to change. A simple amendment is less expensive than a full restatement. We’ll give you a clear fee after the review, before any work begins.