You can make an estate plan as young as 18 and never touch it again in your life, should you choose. Yet while estate plans aren’t subject to any official expiration date, their usefulness certainly can go out of date.

Regularly reviewing your estate plan and updating it when needed is always best. Here are some events that could mean your plan is no longer current or meeting your needs.

Changes to estate planning laws

Estate planning laws, just like most other kinds of laws, do get altered occasionally. Things that might change include the limits placed on gifting or the point at which taxes must be paid on the transfer of an estate. Often, these changes will not affect you, but it could only take one change that does affect you to make your estate plan far less effective than it previously was.

The death of someone named in your estate plan

A typical estate plan names multiple people. For instance, you may name one or more people to be an executor, and, if you are a parent, a guardian. You may name other fiduciaries such as trustees, health care representatives and people who have powers of attorney. You’ll also likely name beneficiaries to receive what you leave behind. If one of them dies, you will need to update the plan to take account of that, reallocating the role or redistributing the wealth unless you have named alternates and contingent beneficiaries.

Changes in your family

Marriage and divorce, the birth of a first child or of an additional child can all require updates to your plan. Failing to keep the plan up to date could lead to loved ones losing out.

An estate plan is something that should evolve as your life evolves. Seeking legal guidance can help you make sure the plan you have when you die reflects your final wishes.