Although there are many different things on your mind as you approach your big day and updating your estate plan may not be one of them, it should certainly be if your upcoming nuptials is not the first time you have been married or in the event that you have children from a prior relationship.
According to a Pew Research Center report, up to 40% of marriages in 2013 were a remarriage for one or both partners. It is even more common, unfortunately, to have estate planning that does not measure up. Approximately two-thirds of individuals don’t have a will in the United States at all and nearly 10% have one that is completely outdated. Out of date documents can be even more troubling in the event that you are getting remarried as this could put your former children or your new spouse in a difficult situation.
Getting remarried is the perfect opportunity to set up a consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney to protect you. Getting remarried makes it all the more important to review your existing documents and update beneficiary information and consider whether you have other estate planning strategies that are no longer useful for you.