When you get remarried in Pennsylvania, you might feel like this is your chance to start over and enjoy the rest of your life. However, issues from your previous marriage could still be lurking in your old financial documents. It’s important to review your estate plans occasionally and make sure everything is up to date so that you don’t end up accidentally writing your spouse out of your will.
How can you protect your new spouse during the estate planning process?
During the estate planning process, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is not including your current spouse in your will. Some people have accidentally left their former spouse in their wills. This doesn’t mean that your former spouse will get your assets, but it means that your assets might be passed directly to your children. As a result, your current spouse will get nothing.
Additionally, if you don’t include your children from a prior marriage in your will, your assets might go directly to your current spouse. While it might seem safe to assume that your spouse will distribute the assets among your children, you don’t know that for sure. Unfortunately, you won’t be there to make sure it happens.
Don’t assume that if your assets go solely to your spouse or children, one group will protect the other. They might decide to keep all the assets for themselves. To prevent this from happening, make sure you include both your children and your spouse in your will.
What’s the best way to protect your family in your will?
As you start writing a will, hiring an attorney may make it easier to protect your family members. Your attorney may help you figure out how to divide your assets and make sure that everyone gets a fair share.
