The themes of making a last minute change to your will or changing a gift on your death bed might seem interesting or a great storyline for a movie, but these can cause many more families to end up in a state litigation which could potentially decimate the value of the overall estate you intended to pass on to heirs. 

Incorporating plans at the last minute might be a necessity because your circumstances could have changed significantly in that period of time. However, if you fail to properly explain or carry out these estate planning changes, your loved ones could end up in court, battling over the validity of your will.

These problems won’t be ones that you’ll be around to deal with, but extended litigation could mean that your estate administrator ends up probating and dealing with many of challenges of these problems, while draining the value of your overall estate.

It’s a much better idea to schedule regular consultations with your estate planning attorney in which you can discuss potential issues and decide what is most appropriate for your individual situation. On an annual basis or as regular changes in your life occur, you can sit down with your estate planning lawyer and walk through what to anticipate and how to approach this process by making updates that will reduce the chances of estate planning litigation.