Getting A Divorce? Better Change Your Will Fast

If you are in the progress of getting a divorce and you think you could be dealing with the matter for a while, make sure you have your lawyer update your estate and will. There are things that can happen while you divorce that leave you and your estate unprotected.

Your spouse may be bitter about what is going on, and you don't want your life and finances left in their hands because they were your legal spouse when you passed or got hurt. Here are a few things to talk with your lawyer about.

Create a New Will

The new will won't leave all of your belongings to your spouse if something happens to you right after the divorce is finalized, or during the divorce process. If you have everything in your will going to your spouse because you planned it that way when you were married, your thoughts may have changed since you're now going through a divorce.

Instead, you can leave items to your children and family members, and they shouldn't have a hard time getting the items if the items were protected from the spouse in a prenuptial agreement. The lawyer can help you with the will to make sure you can rest in peace if something happened.

Appoint a Power of Attorney

If you were in jail or something happened and you couldn't represent yourself, your spouse would be the automatic choice if you're still legally married. Appoint someone else to handle your affairs if you are physically or mentally incapable of representing yourself.

If you were in an accident or had a medical problem and you needed someone else to make decisions for you about your life or a medical procedure, your spouse would be the legal person to do so if you don't have a medical power of attorney. Instead, appoint someone you trust to make life and death decisions.

Going through a divorce is going to be a strain emotionally and financially, but it's best to make sure that you don't have to worry about your spouse having power over you if you end up in jail or a hospital bed before the divorce gets finalized. Talk with an estate planning lawyer like Wright Law Offices, PLLC to see if you can have a new living will created, and to see if you can have your estate plan changed to reflect what you want now that you will be divorced.

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