Before the snow starts flying, most of us take care of the practical things — cleaning out the garden, closing up the cabin, stashing away the lawn furniture.
The cooler temps and falling leaves provide the perfect nudge to get organized before winter sets in.
It’s also an ideal time to do a quick check-up on something you might not think about very often: your estate plan.

Like our houses, our cars, our health, and our relationships, a little bit of maintenance can go a long way. That’s true for estate planning, too. Your estate plans don’t need to be rebuilt from the ground up every year, but they do need the occasional “winterizing” to make sure everything still fits your life.

Why Seasonal Check-Ins Matter

A lot can change in a year. Maybe you’ve added a new grandbaby. Perhaps you’ve walked through a divorce or added a new live-in partner. Relocations and retirements are big life changes, too. You might buy property, open a new investment account, or adjust other long-term plans. If your estate planning documents don’t keep up with those changes, they might not reflect your wishes when it matters most. Outdated estate plans aren’t much better than no estate plans.

Use the change of season as your cue to make sure your plans reflect your wishes.

Your Fall Estate Planning Checklist

You don’t have to spend hours sorting through paperwork to do this well. Start with a few key areas:

1. Will and/or Trust

Your will or trust is the backbone of your estate plan. Think about the people named as beneficiaries, guardians, or executors. Are they still the right fit for the role? A quick review can make sure your legacy reflects who and what matters most to you today, not five or ten years ago.

2. Power of Attorney & Health Care Directives

Life can change quickly, and the person you trusted five years ago might not be the best person for the job today. These documents give someone the legal authority to make decisions on your behalf if you can’t. You want that person to be steady, trustworthy, and clear about your values. If your named agent isn’t the obvious choice anymore — or if you just haven’t thought about it in a while — this is the perfect opportunity to update those names.

3. Beneficiary Designations

This one trips people up all the time. Even if your will says one thing, your beneficiary designations on retirement accounts, insurance policies, and investment accounts usually take priority. An old name on a form can unintentionally override your carefully thought-out plan. Take five minutes to log in, double-check those names, and make sure everything lines up with your current wishes.

4. Digital Assets

Speaking of logging in, we all have a growing list of digital accounts these days — banking apps, photo storage, social media, subscriptions. If you’ve changed passwords, opened new accounts, or set up two-factor authentication, your plan should reflect that. It doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple, secure list of logins and instructions can make things much easier for the people who will need access later on.

5. Real Estate & Cabin Ownership

For any real estate you own, this is a good time to ensure everything is titled correctly. Do the deeds, transfer-on-death designations, or trust arrangements match the rest of your plan? If not, your property might not pass as smoothly or quickly as you intend. A quick check now can save your loved ones a tangle of legal red tape and court proceedings later.

A quick review of these basics can prevent confusion or unintended outcomes down the road.

Take Action Before the Holidays

Fall is a great time to schedule a brief check-in with your estate planning attorney. A few small updates now can save your loved ones a lot of stress later. It’s also one less thing to think about once the holiday rush begins.

Just like closing up the cabin before winter or removing your tomato plants from garden beds, taking a little time to “button up” your estate plan now helps protect what matters most. A simple check-up today means you can be worry-free as you sip your cocoa by the fire all winter long.

Contact Miroslavich Law to start your review process. We’re always happy to help!

Estate Planning