No Surprises: How to Estimate Costs and Avoid Year-End Sticker Shock

As the end of the year approaches, many families turn their attention to holiday plans, wrapping up finances, and setting goals for the year ahead. But there’s one important area that often gets pushed to the bottom of the list: updating your estate plan.

The truth is, the longer you wait to make updates, the more likely you are to experience sticker shock when you finally decide to act. What could have been a simple, low-cost adjustment earlier in the year can snowball into a more complex and expensive project by December.

Why Waiting Costs More

Estate planning isn’t static—it’s designed to keep up with life. But when years go by between updates, changes tend to stack up. By the time families finally sit down to revise their plans, several updates may be needed at once:

• Multiple family or financial changes need to be reflected in the documents
  
• Old provisions may no longer match your wishes or the current law
  
• Gaps or oversights that could have been handled simply now require larger revisions
  

And when these updates are all made under tight year-end timelines, the workload—and cost—can grow quickly.

The Year-End Effect

December is one of the busiest times of year for estate planning. Many families want to finalize updates before the calendar turns, whether to take advantage of current tax laws, close out a year of life changes, or simply start fresh in January.

When you wait until the last minute, two things happen:

1. The scope of work expands because more updates have accumulated over time.
   
2. Your timeline shrinks, creating a sense of urgency that makes it harder to space out updates strategically.
   

This is where “sticker shock” shows up—not because the work is unexpected, but because it’s all hitting at once.

How to Stay Ahead of Sticker Shock

The best way to keep costs predictable is to treat estate plan maintenance like routine home maintenance—small, regular tune-ups instead of waiting for a full renovation.

Here’s how:

• Review your plan every 2–3 years, or after any major life event (like a new child, property purchase, or change in trustee).
  
• Address updates promptly, even if they seem small. A quick amendment now is far easier than a sweeping overhaul later.
  
• Don’t wait for year-end—schedule reviews earlier in the year to give yourself time and flexibility.
  
• Ask for clear estimates so you understand the scope of work before making changes.
  

A Little Proactive Planning Goes a Long Way

Estate planning updates don’t have to be overwhelming. By staying ahead of changes throughout the year, you can spread out costs, avoid the December rush, and ensure your plan always reflects your current goals—without any surprises.

Bottom line: The longer you wait, the more updates pile up—and the bigger the sticker shock can be. A little proactive planning now can save time, money, and stress later.

Schedule your estate plan review today and get ahead of year-end.