Non-Traditional Families

 

Nontraditional families take many forms – from a grandmother raising a grandchild via an informal custodial arrangement, to a same-sex couple living together in a state that does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions. Regardless of the type of nontraditional family, they all have one thing in common – the state or federal government does not recognize them as families. Therefore they are not granted the same benefits that traditional families are entitled to with respect to estate planning, gift and estate taxes, guardianship of minor children, and health care proxy designations.

Estate Taxes: An Example of the Difference between a Married Couple and a Nontraditional Family

A U.S. citizen does not have to pay any estate taxes on any real estate or assets received from his or her spouse, either as a gift during life or as a bequest after death. In contrast, the surviving partner in a same-sex marriage may have to pay significant state and federal estate taxes after receiving a bequest from his or her partner.  

Use Estate Planning to Protect Your Nontraditional Family

We can help implement various estate planning strategies to safeguard your nontraditional family in matters including:

• Protecting ownership of the family home
  Protecting custody of the family’s minor children
• Protecting the surviving partner’s right to manage the finances of the family’s minor children in the event of the other partner’s death
• Protecting family members’ rights to make medical decisions for their partners and minor children
• Protecting family members’ rights to make financial decisions in the event one partner becomes incapacitated
• Ensuring that state probate laws do not override the family’s wishes regarding inheritance
• Correctly designating beneficiaries on life insurance and other policies
• Minimizing the impact of estate taxes and income taxes on the surviving partner
• Planning for and minimizing will contests by family members unhappy with the decisions and bequests made in your will and other estate planning documents
• Burial instructions, or granting the right over burial decisions to the surviving partner over other blood relatives

After working with us to create a tailored and successful estate plan, you and your family will be armed with the necessary knowledge and legal documents to ensure that you – and not the government – will control family inheritances and  important decisions impacting your family.