Blended family – Why is it so important to make your Will? With regard to how the concept of the modern family is now understood, Laura Richardson stresses the importance of getting your estate planning in order where you have a blended family . . .
A blended family describes a living situation in which at least one member of a couple has a child or children from a previous relationship.
If you are living together as an unmarried couple or with children from you or your partner’s previous relationship, it is especially important to ensure that you have both made a Will that accurately reflects your current situation and current wishes for your possessions after you die. If you die without making a legally valid Will, your belongings will be distributed according to the law. This is the case even if you had made your wishes clear verbally or in an unofficial written document such as a letter or email.
Scenario 1: Let’s imagine that Anna is in the process of divorce proceedings when she and her new partner Barry decide to buy a house to live in together with Anna’s daughter and Barry’s son. If Anna dies before her divorce is finalised, the law states that her possessions would pass to her husband rather than to Barry. This could mean that Anna’s soon to have been ex-husband could end up owning half of Anna and Barry’s family home!
Scenario 2: Let’s now imagine that Caroline and Dennis have lived together along with Dennis’s son Eddie for ten years. Dennis’s only living blood relative is his son and Dennis dies without a valid Will. In this situation, the law states that Dennis’s belongings would be passed to his son Eddie rather than to his long-term partner Caroline. Furthermore, as Caroline is not a blood relative to Dennis’s son, Eddie would more than likely have to spend time in State care with a Foster family while Caroline fights a potentially costly court battle to become his legal guardian.
Both of these scenarios show exactly how important it is to ensure that your loved ones are protected in case of your death where a blended family is involved. As specialists in this field of law, we at Andrew Douglas Wills & Legal Services can advise you on the best way to ensure that your loved ones will be protected after you die. You can rest assured that you will receive expert advice based on our extensive experience, regardless of how complex your family situation may be. Whether in Feering or the surrounding areas of Essex, call today to arrange your free initial consultation!
If you would like to keep up with our latest posts and advice about estate planning through the regular advice that we provide to our clients in this regard, then please also feel free to –
Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ADouglasWills.
Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AndrewDouglasWills.
