An Orange County estate planning attorney notes that one of the driving factors for people who create estate plans is to provide adequately for a surviving spouse. The process can become more complicated when it involves multiple marriages and children from different marriages or relationships.
A will that is not updated following a divorce will benefit the spouse as written in the will, even if the decedent has remarried. There are many instances of ex-spouses becoming enriched from this oversight. When couples divorce, they should each update their estate planning documents — wills, beneficiary forms for retirement and investment accounts, life insurance policies, payable-on-death accounts, and so on — to reflect new beneficiaries.
When a person remarries, this is another occasion for updating all estate planning documents to reflect new heirs, or the estate may be left open for years of litigation. A qualified Orange County estate planning attorney can help married couples protect assets and plan for their eventual distribution to chosen beneficiaries.
The Flanigan Law Group provides Southern California residents with personal attention for estate planning, administration and litigation legal services. When disputes between families, arise, they are very successful in resolving legal estate issues quickly and efficiently while preserving financial and emotional resources. Contact the Flanigan Law Group at 949-450-0042.