Your Post Honeymoon Estate Planning Checklist
Your wedding is over, and the day was absolutely perfect. You went away on your honeymoon with your new spouse and had the time of your lives. Now you are back and can breathe a sigh of relief and watch the rest of the years ahead unfold before your eyes. Well, not so fast. Now that your honeymoon is over, there are several things you should be mindful of to make sure that the legal and financial parts of your life properly reflect your newly married status. So here is your post honeymoon estate planning checklist.
What To Do After The Honeymoon
After your wedding, it's essential to take care of some crucial post-honeymoon tasks in the first few days or even weeks to ensure that you have plenty of blissful memories to cherish in the years to come. Here's a checklist that you can use as a reminder for some of the errands that require your immediate attention, even though it does not cover everything.
Meet with a knowledgeable estate planning attorney to discuss the creation of a will or trust, or to update one from before you got married;
Review and update your medical proxy documents and provide copies to your necessary doctors’ offices;
Check and update beneficiary designations on any life insurance policies, 401(k)s, IRAs, annuities, and other investment accounts;
Seek advice from your tax preparer about whether or not you should adjust your withholdings to reflect your new marital status;
Obtain life insurance, if you do not already have coverage, and designate a beneficiary and a contingent beneficiary;
If you have or are planning to move, notify your auto insurer, banks, employer, and anyone else of your new address;
Add your spouse to your group health and/or dental insurance policy, if necessary; and
Change ownership of real property, if you choose to, to reflect your marital status;
Legally Changing Your Name
In addition to the above, if you decide to legally change your name make sure to notify the following institutions:
Schools;
Employer(s);
Department of Motor Vehicles;
Creditors and debtors;
Social Security Administration;
Passport office;
Insurance agencies;
State taxing authorities;
Telephone and utility companies;
Banks and financial institutions;
Government benefit office.
So congratulations on your wedding. Hopefully this post honeymoon estate planning checklist will help the two of you begin your lives together.
Contact an Experienced Estate Planning Attorney
We are here to help guide you through the estate planning process and to make sure that the financial and legal aspects of your life correctly match your new marital status. Contact us today to learn about how we can help you enjoy your wedded bliss with financial and legal security.
