Are you new to Arizona? Review and revise your estate plan

Many Arizona residents have moved here from colder, wetter climates. If you’re one of them, you may wonder whether the estate plan you put in place in your previous home state is still valid.

You’ll need to make some changes. Estate planning laws can vary significantly by state. That doesn’t mean that all of your hard work creating an estate plan was for nothing. You likely won’t need to start from scratch. However, you will need to make some modifications to your will, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives and other documents to ensure that they comply with Arizona law.

Likely, Arizona has documents similar to the ones included in your estate plan. However, they are somewhat different. You may even be able to add documents that weren’t previously available. For example, Arizona law allows people to create pet trusts to help ensure the care of their four-legged family members after they’re gone.

You may also need to review your choices for executor, trustees and other administrators. If you chose family members or others who used to live near you, are they still willing and able to travel to Arizona to carry out their responsibilities?

An estate plan should be reviewed to determine whether modifications are warranted whenever someone has a significant life event, whether it’s a new child or grandchild, a new home that you want to place in a trust or a move. If you’re new to Arizona, one of the most important things on your to-do list should be to review your current estate plan with an experienced Arizona estate planning attorney. They can help you make the necessary changes to ensure that it’s in compliance with state laws and that it still reflects your needs and wishes.