A plan only works if it still fits your life today.
Families change, property changes and the law changes. A periodic review with your attorney keeps it doing what you intended.
Every three to five years, and after any major change
- Marriage, divorce or a new child or grandchild
- Buying, selling or refinancing real estate
- A move to or within California
- A trustee, guardian or agent who can no longer serve
- A significant change in your assets, such as company stock or an inheritance
- Changes in tax law or the size of your estate
- An older A-B trust signed before today’s estate-tax rules
Before you buy, sell or open significant accounts
How property is held determines whether a trust can do its work. Before acquiring real estate, opening significant accounts or changing a beneficiary designation, let us know, so we can advise how each should be held in light of your plan.
Amendment or restatement
Whether a change calls for a focused amendment or a comprehensive restatement depends on what has changed and how the trust is drafted. A trust’s age alone does not require a restatement. We review your documents and recommend the appropriate approach. See Trust Amendments & Restatements.
Make sure your family can find it
Keep your original documents somewhere safe and tell your successor trustee where they are. A trust no one can find cannot help your family.
Time for a review?
Meetings are by appointment, weekdays 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM, by Zoom or at our offices. Call 888.380.2288 or 415.693.8882, or request a time online. Consultations in English, Cantonese or Mandarin.