Kickstart Your Year: 5 Reasons to Update Your Estate Plan in 2025

Author

Entrusted Legacy Law

For more information about the author, click to view their website: Entrusted Legacy Law

Posted on

May 19, 2025

Book/Edition

Pennsylvania - Greater Pittsburgh Area

Headlines are filled with cautionary tales about families who find themselves in drawn-out legal disputes when a loved one’s outdated estate plan leaves critical details up in the air. The emotional and financial toll can be enormous, often hitting home just when relatives need support the most. 

If your own estate plan hasn’t been refreshed recently—or if you haven’t created one at all—you might be exposing your loved ones to these same risks. As we roll into 2025, now is the time to take a proactive step and ensure your legacy is protected.

Updating (or creating) your estate plan at the start of the new year can offer peace of mind, ensuring your legacy reflects your current relationships, values, and goals. 

Below, we outline five compelling reasons why giving your estate plan some attention might be the most important resolution you make this year.

1. New Life, New Rules: Adapt to Big Changes

Life never stands still—and your estate plan shouldn’t either. Think about the major milestones you might have experienced in 2024. Did you:

  • Celebrate a marriage or welcome a new family member?
  • Experience a divorce or the loss of a loved one?
  • Acquire a new home or start a business?

All of these events require updates to your legal documents. 

For instance, if you remarried, you may need to change beneficiary designations on your life insurance policy or update your will so it accurately reflects your new family structure. 

If you welcomed a child into your family last year, you’ll want to establish or update a guardianship plan—Entrusted Legacy Law’s unique Kids Protection Planning offers peace of mind, ensuring your children will always be cared for by the people you trust most.

Helpful Tip:

  • Create a “milestone checklist.” Review your estate plan any time a major life event occurs—birth, marriage, death, divorce, or major financial change. This proactive step helps keep your plan aligned with your current wishes.

2. Tax Laws Aren’t Timeless: Stay Ahead of the Curve

Although Entrusted Legacy Law does not offer tax planning services, we strongly encourage clients to stay aware of evolving tax laws. Changes in federal or state legislation—such as estate or inheritance tax thresholds—can significantly impact the administration of your estate. If you have questions or concerns about how these changes might affect you, consulting a qualified tax professional is essential.

  • Coordinate with a CPA or tax advisor to learn about any adjustments you should consider.
  • Stay informed about new legislation that could affect your estate’s value and distribution.
  • Review your beneficiary designations with each relevant financial institution to ensure they’re up to date in light of any tax implications.

Helpful Tip:

 Schedule an annual check-in with both your estate planning attorney (for legal updates) and your tax professional (for financial and tax-specific guidance). Together, they can help ensure your overall plan stays on track.

3. Guardianships, Trusts & Wishes: Secure Your Legacy

Remember, estate planning isn’t just about money—it’s about people, your values, and the legacy you leave behind. From naming the right guardians for your children to ensuring your trust beneficiaries are up to date, regular reviews of these key components are essential.

Guardian Considerations

  • Are your chosen guardians still willing and able to care for your children?
  • Does your plan name contingent (backup) guardians in case your primary choice can’t serve?

Trust Beneficiaries

  • Do your current beneficiaries align with your relationship status?
  • Have you considered adding or removing certain provisions (e.g., spendthrift clauses, special needs planning)?

By scheduling a thorough review with our team, you can safeguard your children’s future, prevent unintended heirs from receiving assets, and ensure your personal wishes are honored.

Helpful Tip:

  • Communicate your wishes. While you don’t need to share every detail, having open conversations with close family members reduces surprises and eases the administration of your estate later.

4. Digital Footprint Cleanup: New Year, New Tools

In an age where so much of our daily life happens online, digital asset planning is more important than ever. From email and social media to cryptocurrency and online business accounts, these assets need clear instructions for access and management in the event of your incapacity or death.

Why It Matters

  • Prevent identity theft by specifying who can manage or shut down your accounts.
  • Preserve important documents and memories stored on cloud drives or social platforms.
  • Ensure continuity of online businesses or financial platforms that might hold monetary value.

At Entrusted Legacy Law, we recommend secure password managers and estate planning apps that simplify organizing and tracking online accounts. These tools make it easy for your chosen executor or trustee to handle your digital assets seamlessly.

Helpful Tip:

  • Keep a list of your online accounts and update it annually. Many people forget about old social media profiles, subscription services, or digital wallets, which can become a burden for loved ones later.

5. Procrastination Is the Real Threat: Make 2025 Your “Wake-Up Call”

No one likes to think about worst-case scenarios, but putting off or neglecting an estate plan can create tremendous difficulties for your family. Delays or outdated information can lead to:

  • Extended probate proceedings in court.
  • Unintended beneficiaries receiving assets.
  • Costly and avoidable estate or inheritance taxes.
  • Disputes among family members, especially during times of grief.

Let the start of 2025 be the reminder you need to ensure your estate plan is up to date. By acting now, you not only protect your family and legacy, but you also gain the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ve done everything possible to avoid unnecessary complications.

Helpful Tip:

  • Mark your calendar for an annual estate plan review. If you only do one legal check-in per year, make it this one—it can save immense time, money, and stress later.

A Fresh Start for Peace of Mind

As you welcome the new year, give yourself (and your loved ones) the gift of proactive planning. Estate planning isn’t just about financial security—it’s about ensuring that your wishes are honored, your loved ones are cared for, and your legacy reflects what matters most to you.

How Entrusted Legacy Law Can Help Update Your Estate Plan

At Entrusted Legacy Law, we provide:

  • Comprehensive Kids Protection Planning to keep your children safe if the unthinkable happens.
  • Tailored Asset Protection Strategies to maximize your wealth and minimize tax liability.
  • Flat-Fee Pricing & VIP Memberships so you always know exactly what you’re getting and what it costs—no surprises.
  • Ongoing Support to keep your plan current as life evolves, including annual membership programs for continuous plan maintenance.

We understand that estate planning is deeply personal, and our compassionate, client-centered approach ensures your plan fully aligns with your goals and values.

Ready to Take the First Step?

Don’t wait for a life event or legal deadline to remind you of the importance of estate planning. Contact Entrusted Legacy Law today to schedule your virtual or in-person consultation and start your year with confidence. Together, we’ll create or update a plan that meets your family’s needs and keeps your legacy secure—no matter what the future holds. To learn more call, us today at 412-547-9855.

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Local Services By This Author

Entrusted Legacy Law

Elder Law 100 Pinewood Lane Suite #303, Warrendale, Pennsylvania, 15086

Our Firm Prepares You for Life What makes our firm different is that we were built with the needs of growing families in mind. We understand you are BUSY, you are growing, you are planning for a life of prosperity and you value ease, convenience and efficiency. You are raising children, and caring for elderly parents, while also working hard to build your own nest egg for a lifetime of support. You want to know youve made the best decisions for your family and that your plan will work when your loved ones need it most. You want to make sure your minor children would be raised by the people you choose, and never by anyone you wouldnt want, and that your teens and adult children are properly prepared to care for you and what you leave behind.  You want to feel confident that youve made the right choices, and handled everything so that you arent leaving behind a mess, when something happens. That is our focus as well. Weve developed unique systems to give you the same access to a Personal Family Lawyer as was previously only available to the super-wealthy, so you can have the guidance you need to build and maintain a life of prosperity and wealth. And, to keep your family out of court and out of conflict, which is the greatest risk to the people you love and all you have created, even if youve already worked with a traditional lawyer or created documents online. Our Team Is Here for You We encourage communication with our clients. In fact, weve thrown out the time clocks so you never have to be afraid to call with a quick question. Everything we do is billed on a flat-fee basis, agreed to in advance, so there are never any surprises. We have a whole team to serve you. When you call our office to ask your quick question, you wont have to wait hours or days for a phone call back. Youll get your question answered, right away. And, if you need to schedule a more in-depth legal or strategic call with your Personal Family Lawyer, a call will be scheduled when you're both available and ready for the call so we can make the very best use of your time and not waste your time by leaving voicemail after voicemail back and forth. And, we ensure the most important details of your planning are followed through on and your plan continues to work throughout your lifetime. We have a funding coordinator to ensure your assets are owned the right way throughout your lifetime and none of your assets will end up going through a long, expensive court process or being lost to the state because they were missed after your death. Weve created unique membership programs to keep your plan up to date year in and year out as well as give you access to our Trusted Team of Legal Experts for guidance on ANY legal or financial matter. One day you will need a lawyer. I dont know why and I dont know when, but when you do, you will be grateful you can call on us and well be here to advise you or get you out of a jam. We Help You Transfer Your Life and Legacy Lastly, we believe your financial wealth is only a small part of your overall Life and Legacy Planning which is made up of your far more valuable and most often lost upon incapacity or death intellectual, spiritual and human assets. These assets are what make you who you are, and sum up whats most important to you. And, a survey of inheritors has revealed that what they care about even more than inheriting your money, is inheriting these intangible assets.   Most estate plans only focus on the transfer of your financial wealth to the next generation. Most people have such great intentions of passing on the intangible, but very few ever get around to it. Its just not a priority, until its too late. How much do you know about your grandparents values? Their most prized personal possessions? How they felt about you? What they had learned during their lifetime? If you are like most people, you know very little. Thats why we build the capture and passage of these most valuable assets into every estate plan we create. Not only will we help you pass on your money, but also your values, your insights, your stories and your experience the truly valuable assets your loved ones care about the most.  Weve developed a tool that allows us to capture and pass on your whole family wealth, including your Intellectual, Spiritual and Human assets.  I cant go into all of the details here, but well definitely talk about it when you come in for your Life and Legacy Planning Session.

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We help parents:Name Legal Guardians Ensure your children are raised by trusted individuals of your choosing.Set Up Trusts for Minor Children Prevent financial mismanagement by appointing a responsible trustee to oversee assets.Establish Emergency Plans Provide clear instructions for immediate care in case of sudden incapacity or death.Whether youre planning for minor children, adult dependents, elderly parents, or a complex estate, we can guide you through the estate planning process with personalized strategies to protect your familys future.Secure Your Legacy With Entrusted Legacy LawEstate planning isnt just about who gets whatits about ensuring that your loved ones are financially secure, legally protected, and prepared for the future.If you want to create a comprehensive estate plan that reflects your wishes, avoids probate, minimizes taxes, and keeps your loved ones out of court and out of conflict, then now is the time to take action  Contact Entrusted Legacy Law today to schedule your Life and Legacy Planning Session and take the first step in protecting your family, your assets, and your future.

Entrusted Legacy Law

Special Needs Trusts 100 Pinewood Lane Suite #303, Warrendale, Pennsylvania, 15086

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