Moving to Wisconsin? Here’s How to Update Your Estate Planning Documents

If you are moving to Wisconsin from another state, one of the most important things you need to do is update your estate planning documents. This includes your will, trust, powers of attorney, beneficiary designations, and more. It’s important to work with an experienced Wauwatosa estate planning attorney like Paul Margerie of Margerie Law to make sure that your documents are updated correctly and reflect your current wishes.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when updating your estate planning documents is that the laws in Wisconsin may be different than the laws in your previous state. This is where an estate planning attorney in Brookfield, Elm Grove, Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, or a nearby community can help you navigate any complexities and make sure you are making all the necessary changes.

If you’re looking for an experienced and trustworthy estate planning lawyer, you’ve come to the right place. I’m Paul Margerie, a passionate estate planning attorney helping clients just like you create, update, and maximize their wills, trusts, and estate plans.

Here are the steps you need to take to update your estate planning documents when you move to Wisconsin.

Inventory Your Current Documents
First, you need to inventory all of your estate planning documents. This includes your will, trust, powers of attorney, beneficiary designations, and any other related documents. Once you have a complete list, you can start the process of updating each one.

Next, you’ll need to review all of your documents and make sure that they reflect your current wishes. This may include changing the beneficiaries of your will or trust, updating your power of attorney designations, and more.

Understand and Maximize Your Marital Property
Wisconsin has what’s called a “marital property law,” which is a complex set of statutes that apply to married persons who live together and/or own property in the state. An experienced estate planning lawyer in Milwaukee can help review your property ownership and ensure your estate planning documents are in order. They can also advise you on how to maximize the tax advantages associated with these laws.

Review Your Will
You should not have to update your will when you move to Wisconsin as long as it was drafted in accordance with the law in your prior state of residence. However, you may want to update who you have named as your executor/personal representative to someone who lives in your current state of residence. This can help you avoid additional costs during the probate process for an executor that needs to travel a long distance.

Update Your Power of Attorney for Health Care
While many documents do not need to be updated when you move to Wisconsin from another state, you will definitely want to review your Power of Attorney for Health Care. Wisconsin has unique laws relating to advance directives for health care and the documents you drafted in your previous state would not suffice to cover the issues that may come up. You will also want to select a person who lives nearby as your health care agent to make healthcare decisions on your behalf should you become incapacitated.

Other Documents
Additional estate planning documents like revocable trusts and financial powers of attorney should not need to be redrafted if they were legally and soundly drafted in your previous state of residence. However, it’s always good to review these documents with your new Brookfield estate planning lawyer to ensure everything is up to date.

Work With a Lawyer to Update Your Wishes
At every step in the process, it’s to have your documents updated by an estate planning attorney in Wisconsin. You can find a list of qualified attorneys on the Wisconsin Bar Association or call me, Paul Margerie of Margerie Law, directly.

Don’t forget to update your estate planning documents every time there are significant changes in your life, such as a birth, death, marriage, or divorce. This will ensure that your documents always reflect your current wishes.

If you have any questions about updating your estate planning documents, please don’t hesitate to call me, Paul Margerie of Margerie Law. I would be happy to help you get started on the process.