Category: Blended Family
The tale might be light-hearted, but it is actually a dire position for the daughter. Proper estate planning by Cinderella’s father could have created an entirely different outcome in that very famous fairy tale, according to The National Law Review in “A Cautionary Fairy-Tale–If Only Cinderella’s Father Had An Estate Plan“. To refresh your memory: […]
The decision to disinherit someone isn’t made lightly and needs careful consideration. Sometimes, as the difficulties of life wind through families, it is decided it would be best to disinherit a family member. It can be done. However, it needs careful legal consideration, according to Next Avenue in “How to Disinherit a Family Member“. The […]
In today’s world it is not at all unusual to have a blended family. Blended families often face special challenges when it comes to estate planning. Those issues are best approached openly, according to JD Supra in “Seven Estate Planning Considerations For Blended Families“. Spouses can leave their assets separately and have their own revocable […]
Second marriage? You’ve entered a brave, new world, when it comes to estate planning. A second marriage can sometimes create a problem, because the biggest reason that stepparents and stepchildren fight is over money, according to the AARP in “Don’t Split Heirs With Your Estate“. If you and your spouse are each financially independent and […]
Can you trust them? If you wonder, then you probably already have the answer. Multiple relationships and fewer bonds can often lead to some challenges, when it comes to settling an estate, according to the Financial Times recently in an advice column “Should I trust my wife to divide my assets fairly?“. The column discussed […]
Fairly dividing an estate among the children can be difficult with remarriages. Resolving the issue of dividing an estate with a blended family, sparked a recent letter to Market Watch in “How do I split my estate between my two stepdaughters and biological son?“. Among the issues in the letter were people remarried with children […]
The laws in most states have not kept up with the reality of divorce and remarriage. Most states have retained the concept of people only marrying once and do not reflect the reality of the fact that many Americans divorce and remarry, according to The Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog in “Estate Planning for […]
A St. Louis case demonstrates how a blended family can be a challenge for estate planning. Both millionaires when they married in 1980, Mary Lee and Robert Hermann Sr., who had children from previous marriages, signed a prenuptial agreement aimed at protecting their own respective children. According to the Riverfront Times in “In Probate Court, […]
A no contest clause is sometimes included in an estate plan when people do not want their relatives to challenge the wills and trusts. A trustee could be charged with abuse if they act in bad faith as demonstrated in a recent Virginia case. Estate planning can be difficult when blended families are involved and […]
It’s been more than 22 years since Audrey Hepburn’s death, and her two sons still can’t divide up her belongings. The late “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” star’s children, Sean Ferrer from her first marriage and Luca Dotti from her second marriage, are fighting over a storage unit filled with posters, photos, costumes, awards and other memorabilia, […]
