Estate planning can be a difficult and stressful process, and mistakes and oversights are common. After all, there’s a lot to consider when writing a will and naming beneficiaries, and it’s easy to miss a thing or two.

Unfortunately, the cost of these errors often falls on your loved ones when certain aspects of your will are not properly carried out.

Below are four frequent estate planning mistakes that could jeopardize the execution of your final wishes.

1. Only writing a will

A will is the most commonly discussed estate planning document, but it’s not the only one you need. You should also have a power of attorney – a legal agreement to give another person the authority to make important financial and medical decisions for you if you have lost the capacity to do so yourself while you’re alive. You can have separate POA agreements for financial versus medical decisions, but whoever you choose for the role(s) should be someone you trust to act in the best interest of you and your family. Without these documents, a court-appointed agent or a doctor could be the one making decisions about your assets and medical care.

2. Assigning responsibilities to the wrong individuals

Naming someone as an estate executor, a trustee, or a guardian to your minor children may seem like a great honor, but it also comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility. Think about whether the people you choose for these roles can handle the duties involved, as well as whether they might let family conflicts or greed get in the way of carrying out your intentions. Sometimes, it’s better to name an objective non-family member or hire a professional trustee who does not stand to benefit from your assets.

3. Never updating your will or beneficiaries

Estate planning is not a one-and-done activity. As you go through life, your circumstances and relationships will change, and you need to continually update your estate planning documents to reflect your current situation, especially if someone you’ve named as a beneficiary passes away or is otherwise no longer in your life.

Many experts recommend reviewing your will every three to five years, but at minimum, you should update it whenever you experience a major life event – marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, the death of a relative, etc. It’s also important to keep track of assets that are transferred outside the probate process – such as retirement accounts, life insurance, and joint property – and ensure your beneficiary designations are up-to-date.

4. Not making estate plans at all

A 2017 BMO Wealth Management survey found that a staggering 52 percent of Americans have not made a formal will. Verbally telling family members about your intentions or writing a letter for your children to open upon your passing does not constitute a legally valid last will and testament.

It can be scary to face your own mortality and procrastinate on estate planning, but it’s even scarier to think about the legal, financial, and emotional aggravation your children and surviving relatives will have to deal with if you don’t have a plan in place.

How to Avoid Estate Planning Mistakes

The best way to secure your family’s future is to work with a professional to create and update your estate planning documents. An experienced estate planning attorney will help you cover all your bases, and include the right legal language to ensure your wishes are honored. Even if you write your own will, you should still hire a lawyer to review and revise it.

Contact The Law Office of Patricia E. Tichenor, P.L.L.C. to speak with one of our counselors about your estate plans today.