Your Essential Estate Planning Checklist for the New Year

The start of a new year often brings a different kind of clarity. Maybe you spent a weekend in Sandpoint helping your parents sort through old paperwork and realized no one is quite sure where their estate documents are. Or perhaps your sister in Twin Falls just had a new child, and it made you wonder whether your own plan still reflects how your family has grown.

Maybe it’s realizing during a drive back from Grangeville that no one knows who has authority to pay the bills if a parent is hospitalized. Or it could be helping a cousin in Caldwell sort through paperwork after a loss and seeing how much harder things become without clear direction.

At Alan R. Harrison Law, we help Idaho families use the new year as a practical reset. This checklist is designed to help you review what you already have, identify what may need updating, and take thoughtful steps that make things easier for the people you care about.

Review Your Existing Estate Plan

If you already have an estate plan, start by taking a fresh look at it. Life changes don’t have to be dramatic to matter. Ask yourself:

• Wills and Trusts: Do they still reflect your wishes? Are the people you’ve named still the right choices?
• Powers of Attorney: Are your financial decision-makers still appropriate if someone needs to step in?
• Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care: Do your healthcare preferences and named decision-maker still feel right to you?

For example, a family in Blackfoot may have set up documents years ago when their children were young. Now that those children are adults, small updates could make a big difference.

Clarify Your Goals for the Year Ahead

Estate planning works best when it reflects what matters most right now. Take a moment to think about your priorities. You might want to:

• Make sure children or grandchildren are protected
• Keep a home or cabin near McCall in the family
• Reduce court involvement for your loved ones
• Provide guidance for medical or financial decisions

A couple in Hailey, for instance, may want to focus on preserving assets they’ve worked hard to build, while parents in Pocatello may be more concerned with naming the right people to help if emergencies arise.

Review Beneficiary Designations

Beneficiary designations often control where assets go, even more than a will or trust.

Review beneficiaries on:

• Life insurance policies
• Retirement accounts
• Payable-on-death or transfer-on-death accounts like checking and savings accounts

If you’ve experienced a marriage, divorce, or loss, these updates are especially important. A family in Nampa may be surprised to learn that an outdated beneficiary designation could override their current estate plan.

Prepare for the Unexpected

Estate planning is also about preparing for situations that can arise during life, not just later on. Consider whether you have:

• Financial authority in place if someone needs to manage bills or property
• Clear healthcare instructions that reflect your values
• A plan that avoids rushed decisions during stressful moments

These documents help loved ones act with confidence instead of uncertainty, whether you live in Lewiston, Arco, or anywhere in between.

Work With an Idaho Estate Planning Attorney

Idaho’s laws, including community property rules and probate procedures, affect how estate plans work. An Idaho-based attorney understands these details and can help ensure your documents work together as intended.

Whether you live in Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, or a smaller community, local knowledge matters.

Start the Year With an Estate Plan That Works for You and Your Loved Ones

The new year is a natural time to take care of unfinished planning and make sure your estate plan still fits your life.

At Alan R. Harrison Law, we help families across Idaho and offer both in-person meetings and virtual visits, making it easier to get started no matter where you live.

‍Schedule a consultation today, and let’s plan today for tomorrow’s success.