In today’s blog, we offer estate planning tips and strategies for blended families in Houston, with the goal of ensuring that all members of the family are considered. For many of our clients in non-traditional families, there can be important questions about how to make sure nothing goes awry upon one individual’s death. There are important strategies to keep in mind, and ultimately, speaking with an estate planning attorney is the best thing you can to in this situation to make sure your needs are covered.
What is a Blended Family?
A blended family is one that consists of a couple and their children from previous relationships. If you and your spouse have both children and stepchildren, you might have different goals for what you will leave behind for each set of children, which can be difficult to navigate if you have been accustomed to more straightforward methods of estate planning in the past.
What Should Blended Families Keep in Mind During Estate Planning?
For those who die without a will in Texas, their assets will generally go to their spouse. For those who have children from a previous marriage, however, things can look different. If a decedent in a blended family owns property with his or her spouse, part of the property will be left to the surviving spouse, and the other half will go to the children from the decedent’s prior marriage.