Ledger Tragedy Amplified by Outdated Will

According to this article by the Associated Press, the tragic death of actor Heath Ledger is followed by the further tragedy of a Will that was filed in Australia in 2003 and never updated to provide for his 2 year old daughter with actress Michelle Williams. The entirety of Ledger’s estate is instead left to his parents and sister.

Sadly, this is not an uncommon scenario. Most people would like to think about their estate plan once and never think about it again. But our lives, families, and situations change, and it is imperative that we update our estate planning documents to reflect those changes.

Ledger’s parents have said that they will make sure their granddaughter is provided for, but not everybody is going to be as responsible or trustworthy. The only way to guarantee that your estate will be distributed according to your wishes, or that your loved ones are provided for, is to make sure that you update your estate plan frequently so that it reflects any changed circumstances.

A regular review and a call to our office whenever your life has seen major changes is not such a tall order. In fact, it’s a very small price to pay to prevent a situation like the one in the article above. One tragedy is enough for any family. Lessen the hurt for yours by keeping your estate plan up to date.