Nothing motivates people to get their affairs in order quite like an upcoming trip. My husband and I are no exception. Before going on our last vacation, we realized we hadn’t updated our estate plan since having our son, and we wanted to make sure everything was lined out perfectly before we left on our trip, just in case something happened to us.
Although you always hope everything goes as planned while you’re gone, it is nice to have the peace of mind of knowing that in case something did happen while you’re traveling, everything would be taken care of.
It’s a good idea to see an estate planning attorney as early in advance as possible. An estate plan usually requires changing of titles to deeds and ownership and beneficiaries of accounts. Although those changes can be made quickly, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re not rushed and that you have sufficient time to get everything set up properly. In all honesty, I didn’t take this advice, and the day before our trip we were frantically running around town making changes to bank accounts. Save yourself the stress, and give yourself enough time to get everything set up the right way before you leave.