What should I do after marriage or divorce?

Marriage or divorce can affect inheritance rights, beneficiary forms, agent appointments, and the effect of estate documents under state law. An existing plan may not produce the intended result. A state-licensed attorney can review the plan together with any marriage agreement or divorce decree.

General information

• A divorce decree may require certain insurance or property terms.
• Federal or plan rules can affect retirement beneficiaries.
• A former spouse may remain on an account form until changed.

Service steps to consider

1. Reviewing every estate document.
2. Considering updates to insurance, retirement, and payable-on-death forms directly.
3. A licensed attorney can help coordinate the plan with the decree and state law.

Quick check

• Has a person, asset, or address changed?
• Do all account forms match the plan?
• Can the right person find the current forms?

How Complete Wills can help

Complete Wills offers document updates through its published update service and can help customers access or revise eligible online documents. Support cannot decide whether a life event legally changes an existing document. Only a state-licensed attorney can provide that analysis. Customer support can explain website features and questionnaire fields, but it cannot choose documents, people, distributions, or legal terms, interpret a completed document, or explain how the law applies to a person's facts. Only a separately engaged licensed attorney may provide legal advice within the attorney's engagement.

Important limits

• Risk: writing changes on a signed will or trust while assuming they are valid. A licensed attorney can advise about a properly executed amendment or replacement.
• After a death, the executor, trustee, family, and experts must follow the controlling documents, account contracts, court rules, and tax law. This article gives general information only. A licensed attorney can explain how state law applies to a specific estate plan or document.