When you have a mixture of
children and parents of various marriages and biological/legal relationships,
you have what’s called a “blended family.” If your family is blended, be
careful when planning your estate and make sure you understand the difficulties
at hand.
Granted, every family is unique. So it is with blended families. Some are created early in life and others are formed later. One or both spouses may be widowed or divorced, even multiple times with multiple “sets” of children from prior relationships. As you can see, the family dynamics alone can get complicated very quickly.
Who will inherit what, when will they inherit and who will control the inheritance? When inheritance issues are added to other family dynamics the situation can get volatile very quickly. The Poughkeepsie Journal recently considered this topic in an article titled “Plan estate carefully for blended family.”
As you might imagine, communication is key. Blended families who are open and share at least the general contours of their estate plans have fewer problems. That noted, you know your family members best. For example, which children or in-laws are most likely to become outlaws?
Adding provisions to your estate plan is one way to hinder troublemakers from challenging your wishes. Remember, estate planning is not a DIY project, especially when it pertains to blended families. We have the experience you need to put your pan together. Like I always say, good planning is no accident.
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