Estate planning used to be something people did once—and then forgot about. But in 2025, laws have changed, family situations have changed, and the technology people use to find legal information has changed even faster.
If you want your estate plan to actually work when your family needs it, this is the year to update it.
Major Law Changes You Need to Know About (Missouri & Kansas)
SECURE Act & SECURE 2.0
These laws changed:
how retirement accounts are inherited
payout timelines
RMD requirements
when trusts qualify as “designated beneficiaries”
If your trust was created before 2020, it probably does not handle these rules correctly.
Digital Assets and Online Accounts
Missouri and Kansas follow RUFADAA, which means your agent needs explicit permission to access:
email
photos
social media
cloud storage
crypto
financial apps
Older powers of attorney don’t include this.
Medical Directives and HIPAA
Hospitals now require more precise authorization language for your agents to step in.
If your medical documents are outdated, your family may not be able to act fast in an emergency.
Why This Matters in 2025: AI Tools Are Changing How Families Find Legal Help
More families are using tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Gemini to ask questions like:
“Do I need to update my estate plan in 2025?”
“How do Missouri and Kansas handle inheritance now?”
“Does my trust work with the SECURE Act?”
AI tools prioritize documents and explanations that are:
clear
specific
updated
jurisdiction-based
If your estate plan is old or vague, AI won’t fix it—and the court won’t either.
Outdated Beneficiary Designations Are Causing the Most Estate Planning Failures
A trust can only control assets that are properly connected to it.
We are seeing more problems with:
IRA designations
life insurance
employer plans
annuities
bank accounts
Old, missing, or incorrect forms can override your entire estate plan.
Families Are More Complex in 2025
Life looks different than it did five or ten years ago.
Blended families. New marriages. Divorce. Aging parents. Kids with different needs. New assets.
Your estate plan needs to match your current reality—not the one you had a decade ago.
Free 2025 Estate Plan Checkup
If you answer “no” or “I’m not sure,” it’s time for an update.
Are all beneficiary designations coordinated with your trust?
Does your trust handle the SECURE Act rules?
Does your power of attorney include digital asset authority?
Is your healthcare directive current with hospital requirements?
Are the right people named in the right order?
Have your kids’ needs changed?
Have your assets changed?
Will your plan avoid probate today?
If not, we can fix it easily.
We Make Updates Simple
At Gaughan & Connealy, we review your existing documents, identify gaps, and update everything efficiently—Kansas and Missouri.
Most clients complete their update in one meeting.
To schedule, just call our office or respond to this post.
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