Blended Family Estate Planning

Transcript

THERE IS ALMOST NOTHING SIMPLE ABOUT BLENDED FAMILIES. AND THAT' ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN IT COMES TO ESTATE PLANNING SO THE TREASURE COAST ESTATE PLANNING TEAM AT CRARY BUCHANAN HAS SOME ADVICE FIRST- TALK TO YOUR NEW SPOUSE. HAVE A CANDID CONVERSATION, ABOUT YOUR ASSETS, YOUR CONCERNS AND YOUR PARTICULAR FAMILY DYNAMIC. DO ANY OF YOUR NEW FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE ISSUES WITH DRUGS OR ALCOHOL? OR HANDLING MONEY? IS ONE FAMILY MEMBER MORE RELIABLE OR KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN THE OTHERS? YOU WANT THE RIGHT PERSON IN THE RIGHT ROLE- FOR INSTANCE: WHO WILL MANAGE YOUR AFFAIRS IF YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE BECOME INCAPACITATED? WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES? PROVIDING FOR YOUR SPOUSE? PRESERVING AN INHERITANCE FOR YOUR CHILDREN? IF YOU PASS AWAY, WILL YOUR SPOUSE GET EVERYTHING OUTRIGHT, OR WILL THE ASSETS BE HELD IN A TRUST? FOR A BLENDED FAMILY, A SIMPLE WILL, ONE THAT LEAVEs EVERYTHING TO YOUR SURVIVING SPOUSE, MAY NOT WORK. AFTERALL, YOUR SURVIVING COULD WRITE YOUR CHILDREN OUT OF *THEIR WILL. OR YOUR CHILDREN'S RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR SURVIVING SPOUSE MAY BE NON-EXISTENT, AFTER YOUR DEATH? A TRUST, WITH A NEUTRAL THIRD PARTY NAMED AS TRUSTEE. MIGHT BE A BETTER OPTION FOR A BLENDED FAMILY. ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY ROBERT SHAFFER AND THE TEAM AT CRARY BUCHANAN CAN HELP YOU COME UP WITH A STRATEGY THAT PROTECTS EVERYONE, AND GIVE YOU PEACE OF MIND. CALL THEM OR VISIT CRARY BUCHANAN DOT COM.