Estate Planning Lawyers
Estate Plan Review & Updates in Albany & the Capital Region
Many people create an estate plan and then neglect it for years. Life changes, marriage, divorce, births, deaths, significant asset changes, relocation, may render your old documents obsolete or ineffective. Changes in New York law may create tax opportunities or require updates. Without periodic review, your estate plan may not accomplish your current goals, may expose your family to unnecessary taxes or complications, or may not reflect your evolving wishes. Our Capital Region attorneys review existing estate plans, identify gaps and outdated provisions, and recommend updates to keep your plan aligned with your life and New York law.
A comprehensive estate plan review examines all your documents: your will, any trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, beneficiary designations on life insurance and retirement accounts, and property titles. We assess whether documents are current, properly executed, and still appropriate for your situation. We review beneficiary designations to ensure they align with your will and trusts. We check whether your fiduciaries (executor, trustee, agent) are still appropriate choices or whether deaths or relocations require new designations. We evaluate tax implications of your plan, particularly if your estate has grown significantly. We determine whether probate avoidance strategies are still appropriate and effective. We ensure your healthcare directives reflect current values and are recognized by hospitals and healthcare providers in the Capital Region. For people with disabilities, blended families, significant assets, or complex circumstances, we may recommend supplemental documents or strategies. Many clients find that annual or triennial reviews keep their plans aligned with their lives and New York law. Some clients discover that old documents contain provisions they no longer agree with or that changes in law create new opportunities. A thorough review provides peace of mind and can prevent costly complications for your family.
Quick Facts
- Direct attorney access, with Nadia throughout your case
- Admitted in 4 jurisdictions: New York, England & Wales, Singapore, Ireland
- Serving all of Albany and the Capital Region
- Free initial consultation available
Our Approach
How We Help With Estate Plan Review & Updates
Comprehensive Document Audit
We review all estate planning documents, beneficiary designations, and property titles to ensure they're current, properly executed, and aligned with your wishes.
Life Change Assessment
We evaluate how major life events, marriage, divorce, births, deaths, relocations, significant asset changes, affect your plan and recommend necessary updates.
Tax & Law Updates
We identify changes in New York law, federal tax law, and your personal circumstances that may create new planning opportunities or require updates to your documents.
Why Choose Nadia for Estate Plan Review & Updates
Proactive Planning
Regular estate plan reviews prevent problems before they arise, ensuring your documents remain effective and aligned with your current life and wishes.
Comprehensive Evaluation
We examine all aspects of your estate plan, documents, beneficiaries, titling, fiduciary designations, not just individual documents in isolation.
Capital Region & NY Expertise
Our attorneys are current on changes in New York estate law, federal tax law, and local practices affecting estate planning in the Capital Region.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Estate Plan Review & Updates
We recommend reviewing your estate plan every 3-5 years or whenever major life changes occur: marriage, divorce, birth of a child or grandchild, significant asset changes, relocation, health changes, or death of a fiduciary or beneficiary. Even without major life events, periodic reviews ensure your plan reflects changes in New York law, tax law, and your own evolving wishes. Many clients find annual or biennial reviews provide peace of mind.
Your old document remains legally valid unless you formally revoke it or replace it with a new one. Executing a new will revokes prior wills; executing a new power of attorney typically revokes old ones; a new healthcare proxy replaces an old one. For trusts, you can amend the trust document (if it allows amendment) or revoke and create a new trust. We help you determine whether a simple amendment or codicil (for wills) or a full restatement is appropriate.
It depends on the document. For wills, you can add a codicil (an amendment) if changes are minor and the will allows it, but significant changes usually warrant a new will. For trusts, amendments depend on whether the trust language allows amendment and who must consent. For powers of attorney and healthcare directives, new documents typically replace old ones entirely. We help you evaluate whether amendments or new documents are appropriate.
Your will reflects the beneficiaries you designated when you signed it. If circumstances have changed, a marriage, divorce, birth, or estrangement, and you want different people to inherit, you should update your will. Divorce automatically revokes bequests to a former spouse under New York law, but other changes require a new will or codicil. We help you revise your plan to reflect your current family situation and wishes.
Absolutely. Beneficiary designations on IRAs, 401Ks, life insurance, and other accounts pass assets directly to named beneficiaries, bypassing your will. If designations are outdated, naming an ex-spouse, a deceased person, or a beneficiary you no longer wish to favor, those designations control regardless of your will. We review all beneficiary designations as part of a comprehensive estate plan review and recommend updates to align them with your will and trusts.
Related Estate Planning Services
Get in Touch
Speak With an Estate Planning Attorney Today
Contact Nadia Moynihan, Esq. to discuss your estate planning needs. Serving Albany and the entire Capital Region of New York.
Ready When You Are
Review Your Estate Plan Today
Schedule a consultation to ensure your documents reflect your current wishes and circumstances.
423 Loudon Rd, Albany, NY 12211 · Mon to Fri, 8 AM to 5 PM