Your estate plan is not “set it and forget it.” The end of the year is a natural checkpoint to make sure your revocable living trust, beneficiary designations, and incapacity documents still reflect your life today. In Ohio, trust planning is often the engine of a modern estate plan because properly funded trusts can avoid probate, keep distributions private, and deliver tailored protections for loved ones. Wills still matter, but most families rely on trusts to carry the heavy load. As you close out the year, take a thoughtful look at your trust plan and the events that should trigger updates so your plan continues to work as intended.

If you need a refresher on the building blocks, start with Understanding the Basics of Ohio Estate Planning and download our Free Estate Planning Checklist to guide your review.

Why a Trust Review is Essential

A revocable living trust only delivers its advantages when it is up to date and properly funded. That means assets are titled to the trust or have beneficiary designations coordinated with the trust. Nonprobate transfers such as Payable on Death and Transfer on Death arrangements pass outside probate and can override your will, so you must align them with your trust’s distribution plan to avoid conflicts or accidental disinheritance.

Marriage or Divorce

A new marriage or a separation is a signal to update trustees, successor trustees, and beneficiary designations in your trust. You may want to include your new spouse as a trustee and/or a beneficiary in your plan, and if your new spouse has children from a prior relationship, you’ll need to make specific provisions for planning with your new “blended family.”

After divorce, immediately remove a former spouse as trustee, successor trustee, or beneficiary in your trust and update beneficiary designations on accounts.

Birth, Adoption, or the Death of a Beneficiary

Family composition shifts call for revisiting your trust’s distribution terms, subtrust triggers, and per stirpes language. It’s wise to confirm how your trust handles an “afterborn person” or a predeceased beneficiary, and whether class gift language needs refinement.

Health Changes and Incapacity Planning

A robust estate plan also includes up‑to‑date General Powers of Attorney and Health Care Powers of Attorney so your chosen agents can manage finances and health decisions if you become incapacitated. An unexpected diagnosis or declining health is a clear trigger to review your Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will to ensure your chosen agent, treatment preferences, and end of life instructions reflect your current wishes.

Your End‑of‑Year Trust Review Checklist:

Now’s a good time to pull your estate plan documents and asset information together to make sure everything is still as it should be.

• Confirm trustees and successor trustees are the right people.
• Confirm that your beneficiaries are correct in your trust and that the provisions directing how and when assets are to be distributed to them are still appropriate.
• If anyone you love receives needs‑based benefits, add a supplemental needs trust to your plan and coordinate distributions to avoid jeopardizing eligibility.
• Make sure bank, brokerage, and real estate assets are titled to the trust where appropriate, or that beneficiary designations direct to the trust.
• Confirm that the agents named in your General Power of Attorney and your Health Care Power of Attorney are still the right people.

Ready to Update Your Estate Plan in the New Year?

If any of the milestones above happened this year, do not wait. Request your appointment now so we can review your trust plan, funding, incapacity documents and beneficiary designations together and make precise updates that align with Ohio law and your goals. Use our website to contact us and our team will reach out to schedule your consultation.