Double-Checking Your Will: A Guide for Hospice Patients

Being in hospice care gives you time to focus on what matters most. For many people, this includes making sure their family will be taken care of after they're gone. If you wrote a will years ago, now might be the perfect time to review it and make sure it still reflects your wishes.

You don't need to stress about this task. Think of it as one final gift to your loved ones. A clear, up-to-date will can prevent confusion and family disputes during an already difficult time. Even small changes can make a big difference in how smoothly things go for those you leave behind.

Start with the Basics

Pull out your current will and read through it carefully. Does it still sound like something you would write today? Life changes over the years, and your will should change with it. Look at the date when you signed it. If it's been more than five years, you'll probably find things that need updating.

Check that your full legal name appears correctly throughout the document. Make sure your address matches where you live now, particularly if you’ve recently sold your home to come live with loved ones. These details might seem small, but they matter when it comes to legal documents. If you've moved states since writing your will, the laws might be different in your new location.

Look at who you named as the executor. This is the person who will handle your affairs after you pass away. Is this person still alive and willing to take on this role? Are they still someone you trust completely? If your first choice can't serve, make sure you've named a backup person too.

Review Your Beneficiaries

Life brings changes, and your will should reflect them. Children grow up, get married, and sometimes have falling-outs with family. People divorce, remarry, and create new family bonds. Sadly, some people you love may have passed away since you wrote your will.

Go through each person you've named to receive something from your estate. Are they all still living? Do you still want them to inherit what you've left them? Have you had grandchildren or step-children join your family? Have any family relationships changed in ways that should affect your will?

If you named minor children as beneficiaries, check their ages. They might be adults now and no longer need a guardian to manage their inheritance. On the other hand, if you have new young grandchildren, you might want to include them in your plans.

Don't forget about pets. If you wrote your will before getting a beloved dog or cat, you might want to add instructions for their care. You can leave money for their needs and name someone to take care of them.

Update Your Assets

Your belongings and accounts have probably changed since you first wrote your will. You might have bought or sold property, opened new bank accounts, or gotten rid of investments. Some items you thought were valuable years ago might not be worth much now, while other things have become more precious to you.

Make a mental list of your current assets. Do you own your home or have you moved to a rental or moved in with a loved one? Have you paid off debts or taken on new ones? Did you inherit anything from family members who passed away? These changes should be reflected in your will.

Consider your digital life too. You might have online accounts, digital photos, or even cryptocurrency that wasn't around when you first wrote your will. While you can't put passwords in your will, you can mention these digital assets and leave instructions for how to handle them. Consider leaving your list of usernames and passwords on a document located in the same envelope as your will.

Helpful Tip: This might also be a good time to update your passwords on important accounts. There are so many instances of leaked account information and other fraudulent activities online that updating each of your passwords to be secure and unique could be yet another way to help and protect your family.

Some people collect things that become more valuable over time, like art, jewelry, or antiques. Others have items with deep personal meaning even if they're not worth much money. Think about special pieces you want to go to specific people.

Things That Don't Belong in Your Will

Not everything should be included in your will, even if it's important to you. Life insurance policies and retirement accounts like 401k plans have their own beneficiary forms. The people named on those forms will receive the money, regardless of what your will says. Make sure those forms are up to date, too.

Joint bank accounts typically go directly to the other person on the account when you die. This happens outside of your will. The same is true for property you own jointly with someone else, like a house with your spouse's name on the deed.

Don't put funeral instructions in your will. By the time someone reads your will, your funeral may already be over. Instead, write your wishes in a separate letter and make sure your family knows where to find it.

Avoid putting conditions on gifts that would be hard to enforce or might cause family fights. Saying someone can only inherit if they graduate college or get married can create problems later. Keep your wishes simple and clear.

Special Considerations

If you have minor children, your will should name a guardian for them. This is true even if you think the other parent will automatically get custody. Life is unpredictable, and having your wishes in writing protects your children.

Consider whether you want to forgive any debts family members owe you. If your son borrowed money for a car or your daughter never paid back college funds, your will can forgive these debts as part of their inheritance.

Think about charitable giving too. If there's a cause close to your heart, you can leave a gift to support it. This doesn't have to be a large amount. Even a small donation can make a difference and reflect your values.

Getting Help

If you find big changes that need to be made, you might want to talk to a lawyer who handles wills and estates. Many lawyers will come to your home, which makes this easier while you're in hospice care. Don't worry about the cost. A simple will update is usually not expensive, and it's worth the peace of mind.

If the changes are small, like updating an address or adding a grandchild, some states allow you to make a simple addition called a codicil. This is less costly than writing a completely new will.

Your hospice social worker might also be able to suggest local lawyers who work with hospice families. These attorneys understand your situation and can often work quickly to help you update your will. There are also mobile notaries that can come to you to witness signatures.

Taking time to review and update your will is a loving act. It shows your family that you cared about their future even during your own difficult time. This final gesture of care can bring them comfort for years to come.