You’ve worked hard to reach retirement. Now that you finally have more time to travel, volunteer, or spend with family, have you taken a moment to ask—does your estate plan still fit your life?
What if your finances look different than they did ten years ago? Or your health needs have changed? Or maybe your family has grown, and your priorities have shifted. These are all good reasons to revisit your plan.
At Dillman & Owen Estate and Elder Law, we help Indianapolis retirees review, refresh, and strengthen their estate plans as part of our comprehensive Life Care Planning program—a long-term strategy that supports your health, finances, and family through every stage of aging.
Why Updating Your Estate Plan Matters
An estate plan isn’t something you create once and forget about. Retirement changes how you live, how you manage money, and often, how you think about the future. Without updates, your plan might no longer reflect your true wishes, or worse, it could create confusion for your loved ones later on.
What Might Have Changed Since You Retired?
Your Finances: Have you shifted from earning income to drawing from retirement accounts? These changes can impact how assets are distributed.
- Your Health: Have you been thinking more about long-term care or medical decisions? Your healthcare directives might need to be updated.
- Your Family: Have new grandchildren arrived, or have relationships changed? Your beneficiaries and trustees may need revisiting.
Each of these moments is an opportunity to make sure your estate plan continues to protect your family and reflect your values.
Steps to Refresh Your Estate Plan:
1. Review Your Will and Trusts
Ask yourself: Does my will still represent my wishes? If your financial situation or family structure has changed, your will and any trusts may need to be revised. We help you:
- Update beneficiaries to reflect your current relationships.
- Reassess your executor or trustee, ensuring they’re still the right fit.
- Review asset distributions, especially if investments or property values have shifted.
2. Update Your Powers of Attorney and Healthcare Directives
Who would handle your finances or make medical choices if you couldn’t? Retirement is the perfect time to confirm these roles. We guide you in:
- Reviewing financial powers of attorney so your chosen person is still willing and capable.
- Updating your healthcare power of attorney and living will to align with your current health and treatment preferences.
3. Consider Tax and Legal Changes
Even though Indiana doesn’t impose a state estate or inheritance tax, federal laws and financial landscapes change often. Regular reviews with your attorney help ensure your plan remains efficient, compliant, and tax-savvy.
How This Fits Into Your Life Care Plan
At Dillman & Owen, we view estate planning as an ongoing process—not a one-time task. Updating your plan after retirement is part of a larger Life Care Planning approach that:
- Anticipates future healthcare needs and long-term care costs.
- Protects assets so you can enjoy your retirement without worry.
- Coordinates legal, financial, and medical planning under one comprehensive strategy.
We ask the questions you might not have thought about yet—What if your health changes? What if you or your spouse need long-term care?—and build your plan to handle those scenarios with ease.
Ready to Review Your Plan? Let’s Start a Conversation About Your Future
Retirement should be about living fully—not worrying about what you’ve left undone. By updating your estate plan now, you can protect your future and give your family clarity for years to come.
At Dillman & Owen Estate and Elder Law, our Indianapolis estate planning lawyers are here to help you take that next step. We’ll review your documents, help you adjust to your current goals, and ensure your plan supports your life ahead.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and start updating your estate plan with confidence.
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