The “I do” to-do list seems like it is never-ending. There are flowers to pick out, venues to book, dresses and suits to find and get fitted, and a million other things that the bride and groom must attend to before walking down that aisle. One to-do a lot of couples skip, and later regret, is a visit with an estate planning attorney.
Building a life together requires a lifetime commitment to frank discussions about life goals, finances, and relationships with relatives. There is no better time to begin these conversations than the present, and no better place to lay a strong foundation once decisions are made than in an estate planning attorney’s office. An attorney can help a new couple put together documents that reflect their plans for their future.
It is also helpful to have an attorney review what sort of things change automatically when the rings are exchanged. For example, there is a legal presumption that the bride takes her husband’s name at marriage. In order to void that presumption, the bride must do certain things. But she must also do a few things to make sure her new name sticks if that is what she wants.
The minute a couple is married, they also become each other’s death bed decision maker. This is a bit morbid, but it’s true. Your new spouse is the one that is going to decide whether to pull the plug, even if they don’t know what you would want them to do.
Speaking of family members, sometimes it is necessary to involve more members of the family in a new couple’s estate planning process. For example, a lot of families in the Carolinas have a beach house or a cabin in the woods that the whole family uses as for vacations. We work with families to ensure that properties like this won’t be lost if a spouse or child runs into financial or legal trouble, or someone gets divorced. Our involvement with this broader family issue is often triggered by our work for newlyweds in the family.
We also help newlyweds who have children from prior relationships protect those kids from unintended legal consequences that arise because of the marriage. If adoption or a name change for the children is also desired, we can help with that too.
One of the best gifts a new couple can give each other is a trip to the estate planning attorney’s office. There is no reason to put off something that goes such a long way toward making your future together a success.