Going through a divorce is a tremendous life change that can be both emotionally freeing and exhausting. By the time everything is finalized, most Lake Charles divorcees might not feel like so much as looking at another piece of paperwork for years if not decades to come. However, despite these feelings, it is still important to attend to estate planning after major life changes.
One of the first things a recently divorced individual might want to take a look at is his or her will. Since property is divided during divorce, a person’s will might list assets that he or she no longer owns. Provisions for ex-spouses should probably be removed as well, and guardian designations may also need to be updated. If the previously named guardians were family members or friends of an ex, it might not make sense to stick with those choices.
Health care powers of attorney should also be reviewed. Many people choose their spouses as the person legally designated to make medical decisions on their behalf, and filing for divorce will not undo these legal documents. This applies not only to powers of attorney for medical decisions but for financial decisions and other things as well.
Even if a couple ends their marriage on relatively good terms, it is usually a good idea to make as clean a break as possible. After all, not many people in Lake Charles would want to discover that their ex-spouse had left them in charge of their sensitive health care decisions. By taking the time to revisit estate planning after divorce or other major life events — including the birth of a child — most people can avoid unwanted situations such as this.
