Once your trust plan is established, the work has just begun! If you thought that things were now taken care of, you may be surprised to discover that they are not as "finished" as you imagine. The trust needs to be funded properly as described in our trust funding knowledge base. Then routine updating and plan maintenance become critical components of long-term effectiveness. Because circumstances change, inevitable changes in the law, your finances, even your family make any trust plan dynamic and evolving. Regular plan "check ups" to see how current your existing estate plan remains is essential to your plan's success. Many estate planners now offer formal update programs to keep the trust plan current and the trust funding complete. An estate plan update program typically offers ongoing funding support for newly acquired assets. Update programs include executing newer trust documents that reflect current law, tax, and planning strategies. By keeping your trust plan current, you'll ensure the trust continues to meets your goals while keeping costs lower than doing no plan maintenance at all. Because the law changes, your finances change, and your family evolves, regular plan updating just makes sense!