Since the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision, same-sex marriages are recognized nationwide, and many estate planning needs mirror those of opposite-sex couples. But when children are involved or when partners rely on nonmarital legal statuses (like domestic partnerships or civil unions), extra steps help ensure your wishes are honored. Start by...
Category: Marraige
Wisconsin Estate Planning FAQ’s: Talking to Your Spouse about Estate Planning
Estate planning works best when you and your spouse or partner talk through goals before you meet with an attorney, even though the conversation can be challenging. You may view your legacy differently or have strong feelings about fairness among children, particularly in blended families, where probate and intestacy rules often treat...
Wisconsin Estate Planning: Should newly married couples combine their estate plans in Wisconsin?
Newly married couples in Wisconsin should coordinate their estate plans closely, but not automatically merge them into a single, identical plan on day one. Marriage creates shared legal and financial interests, yet each spouse still has individual property rights and a separate legal identity. Wisconsin’s marital‑property rules also affect default inheritance if...
Wisconsin Estate Planning: What are estate planning issues that a blended family faces in Wisconsin?
Blended families in Wisconsin face some of the most complicated estate-planning challenges because the law does not automatically align with emotional expectations. When “yours, mine, and ours” families mix, the biggest issues usually involve who inherits what, when they inherit it, and who controls assets in the meantime.
Conflicts...
Wisconsin Estate Planning: Should Newly Married Couples Combine their Estate Plans in Wisconsin?
Newly married couples in Wisconsin should coordinate their estate plans closely—but not automatically merge them into a single, identical plan on day one. Marriage creates shared legal and financial interests, yet each spouse still has individual property rights and a separate legal identity. Wisconsin’s marital‑property rules also affect default inheritance if one...
Wisconsin Estate Planning: What are Estate Planning Issues that a Blended Family Faces in Wisconsin?
Blended families in Wisconsin face some of the most complicated estate-planning challenges because the law does not automatically align with emotional expectations. When “yours, mine, and ours” families mix, the biggest issues usually involve who inherits what, when they inherit it, and who controls assets in the meantime.
Conflicts...
Qualified Domestic Trusts (QDOT’s) and Protecting a Noncitizen Spouse
Married couples love each other and want the best for each other. Establishing a comprehensive estate plan is one way to provide the best for each other. Not only does an estate plan protect you when you are unable to care for yourself during your lifetime, but it also protects your hard-earned...
What Is the Last Surviving Spouse Rule?
What Is the Last Surviving Spouse Rule?
Estate planning can be a significant part of successful financial management, especially for married couples. One key consideration is minimizing estate taxes, which can substantially affect the distribution of money and property to a married couple’s loved ones.
Legal Perils of Gifts and Joint Ownership between Unmarried Couples
Cohabitation without marriage is becoming more common in the United States. Among eighteen- to forty-four-year-olds, the percentage of adults who have lived with an unmarried partner at some point is now higher than the percentage of adults who have been married.
When you live with a romantic partner, it...
Keeping Your Child’s Inheritance Out of Your In-Law’s Hands
About 40 to 50 percent of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. Regardless of how you feel about your child’s spouse, you must face the possibility that they could become your child’s ex-spouse. Should that day come, the money you leave to your child could be subject to a...