Traveling whenever you want can be one of life’s greatest pleasures. You get to experience adventure, nature and diverse cultures. People who travel after retirement or take frequent family vacations tend to be detail-oriented, making sure to address any issues that could arise during their travels. However, many people fail to address their estate plans before they take a vacation.
What does estate planning have to do with taking a vacation?
Before you leave on a trip, you probably go through your home to ensure the oven is off and no one has left a faucet running. Going through your estate plan before a trip is just as important. If you suffer an illness or an injury while away from home, you need to make sure everything in your estate plan is accurate and up-to-date.
What estate planning tasks should you complete before leaving?
To help you understand how to address and update your plan, here is an easy-to-follow checklist of critical tasks.
- Make sure your guardian designation for minor children or adult children with special needs is current.
- Make sure your will, trusts and other documents accurately reflect your beneficiary designations.
- Make sure incapacity documents like a health care power of attorney or living will are current should you suffer a debilitating injury or illness.
- Make sure to organize your documents and accounts, including passwords and usernames, and leave this information with your lawyer or another trusted party.
You can also speak with an estate planning attorney to ensure that you have addressed anything that might go wrong on your trip.
In most cases, California residents experience no emergencies while on vacation. Still, you will have a much better time knowing that you have prepared. Continue reviewing our website for more estate planning tips and facts.