If you are one of the many people in Washington State whose upcoming nuptials represent a second or subsequent trip down the aisle for either you or your future spouse, it is essential that you pay attention to your long-term estate planning. There are multiple potential pitfalls of ignoring this in your situation and one of the biggest is the possibility of family discord after you or your spouse die.
You and your partner may be madly in love but your children and their children may feel quite differently about each other. In addition, the children may feel very nervous about what may eventually happen to family heirlooms or other assets after one or both parents are gone. Forbes explains that a solid estate plan can help put many of these fears to rest up front and may actually facilitate a smoother blending of families even if by separating assets to some degree.
Another concern for remarried couples is long-term care for either spouse after one may have died. Care generally requires some financial assets and determining what assets from each partner will be used for this purpose is best done well before the need arises. This may also make decisions easier for other relatives should a medical emergency arise forcing the need for care when otherwise unexpected.
If you would like to learn more about the importance of proper estate planning for different family situations, please visit the blended family will and trust page of our Washington State probate and estate planning and litigation website.
