It’s easy to feel alone during a divorce, but you’re far from the only person experiencing loneliness and grief after a separation. About 689,308 couples get divorced each year across America. If you’re among them, you’ll need some support to get through this difficult time.
A trust and estate attorney can help you get your legal documents in order just as loved ones can help you emotionally. Read on to learn why you may need a trust and estate lawyer post-divorce.
Your Needs Have Changed
You and your ex-spouse likely planned your estate around the other one. You created trusts and planned for your assets to go to each other after passing away. You also likely determined who would get property, joint financial assets, and child custody.
These needs have now changed, and you likely do not want your assets going to your former partner. It’s important to legalize these changes so that your estate goes where you want it to. This is especially important if you and your former spouse have children together and you want to ensure that they are taken care of.
You’re Unsure of Documents That Need Updating
There are several documents that trust and estate lawyers can help you update, including:
- Your will
- Trusts that you and your ex made together
- Power of attorney
- Health care wishes
- Life insurance policies
It’s important to update and replace these documents, but many people don’t know what this process entails. You also may have additional documents like mortgages and property deeds that need alterations. An estate lawyer can help you understand the ins and outs of these documents so you know what needs updating.
You Have Life Insurance
Life insurance is one of the most difficult technicalities to handle during a divorce since you likely listed your ex on your policy. The person who owns the policy is the one who must pay premiums even if you both are on the policy. However, that owner also gets the authority to change beneficiaries.
To ensure that problems in insurance planning iron out smoothly, you may want to make a trust the owner of the policy. An attorney can walk you through this process so that you don’t have any insurance issues after a divorce.
You Simply Want Advice
Even if you aren’t sure whether you need to update your estate, hiring an attorney ASAP is always a good idea. This is because they can give you advice on how to best protect your assets from potentially greedy ex-spouses. They also can help you ensure that your children get the assets that are rightfully theirs instead of your former partner.
If you simply need to discuss these issues and feel confident in what’s to come, hiring an attorney can keep you in the know. Understanding the legalities of your divorce can bring you peace of mind, which is well worth the cost.
Find a Trust and Estate Attorney Today
Now that you know some reasons to hire a trust and estate attorney post-divorce, it’s time to get started. Our team is committed to helping clients across Westchester to get their lives back on track after losing their spouses. Get in touch to schedule a consultation with the top family lawyers in NYC.