24-7 Press Release:  Many people create their first will after getting married.  However, if you are now divorced or going through a divorce, it may be time to look again at your estate plan. A married person will usually plan his or her will together with the spouse, and often has many provisions regarding the spouse in the will.  After divorce, it is likely that plan is no longer appropriate.

Examiner.com: You have a lot of options when it comes to planning your estate. You can consult an attorney, sure, but you can also do it yourself with the help of numerous services that are willing to sell pre-drafted forms. The question is not whether you have multiple options, but why you would choose anything but the best plan for your needs. The best plans include processes for customization and implementation. That means giving you exactly what you specifically need.

BCRNews.com:  If you don't make $1 million a year, only own one modest home and are still driving the same car you bought six years ago, you might think you don't need to engage in “estate planning.” Or you may think your family accountant or attorney will be the only professional you need to help you with this important task.

Not so on either account, says Joseph V. Falanga, a certified public accountant, Accredited Estate Planner and current president of the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC). “Your ‘estate' is much more than just the amount of cash you'll leave to your loved ones,” Falanga says. “Estate planning ensures your investments, retirement savings, insurance policies, real estate, business interests and cash will all be handled according to your wishes when you're gone. Just as you would seek out a specialist for a specific health need, you should look for professionals whose education and experience are specialized to the needs of people planning their estates.”

Wealth Counsel:  As the rates of divorce and remarriage climb, those with recently blended families may be witness­ing the emergence of troublesome estate planning issues. The interests of a new spouse and child can create conflict with a parent’s desire to provide fairly for children from a previous relationship, causing unforeseen compli­cations, misunderstandings, and damage to the blended family unit. For those family members without a clear understanding of their new rights and obligations, the fol­lowing scenarios provide examples of common planning problems and potential solutions to these issues…

North Jersey.com: Parents who have concerns about the well-being of their special-needs child upon their passing can take legal measures to ensure that their intended wishes are implemented.

Attorney James DeSantis, who handles estate planning for individuals with special needs |in the Law Offices of Christine Ann Soto (christinesotolaw.com), encourages families to set up the following:

n A Will

n A Special-Needs Trust

n Guardianship

DeSantis said creating a will and trust will make sure that the greatest amount of the parents' estate passes to the intended beneficiaries. It also will minimize taxes and probate, which is a legal process of settling the estate of a deceased person.

Barrington Patch: 

Hi, Lisa. I have a 401(k) account with my employer and have named my wife as beneficiary if something happens to me. But what if she dies before me? Who would get the money?  Thank you. Dean.

Dear Dean,

You raise a very good question. Most retirement plans, life insurance policies, annuities and certain other types of accounts allow you to name who will receive the proceeds when you die by filling out a beneficiary designation form…