Estate planning is an area of law that is constantly evolving and adapting to a variety of influencing factors. While the impact of changes in the law are a significant driver of change in estate planning it is important not to underestimate the impact of judicial decisions and development of new technology on the field. Over the course of the last 20 years, we have seen a refinement of the law to address some of the issues that have arisen due to other societal changes during that time, but often it is the responsibility of estate planning professionals and their clients to attempt to resolve situations in the absence of clear statutory guidance. This ongoing evolution is one of the many reasons why we consider estate planning an ongoing process that requires a strong attorney-client relationship built over the course of many years. In the coming days and weeks we will be reviewing and revising many of our previous blog posts in order to update and improve the information contained on our blog and to begin addressing potential changes that could result from Congress's current push to reform the tax code.
We normally encourage our colleagues and clients to review their estate planning as the year comes to a close, this year is no different because, no matter what comes from the legislative efforts in Washington, changes in individual lives generally have a much greater impact on an estate plan than changes in the law. Regular review is essential to confirm that the terms of your estate plan still aligned with your goals for managing your affairs in the event of your incapacity or death. As often as a client contacts us to update a designee or beneficiary in their estate plan, we also hear from clients who need to make significant changes to their estate plan because the goals of their planning have changed over time. We hope that the information we provide to you through the end of the year will prove useful, answering your questions and concerns regarding estate planning and to assisting you in a review of the current state of her planning (or lack thereof).
As you read through our posts, if you find yourself stuck with questions that we have not answered or topics that you would like us to address, please do not hesitate to contact us directly and we will do our best to assist you.
Matt and Alan
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