The outside insight from an experienced estate planning attorney can help to create a comprehensive plan for you and your spouse, but how do you get your spouse on the same page if they’re putting off estate planning entirely? One of the leading reasons to sit down and do your estate planning is to avoid the state making decisions on your behalf, which can have implications for both you and your partner. Skipping estate planning can be a big mistake, but it’s important to undertake these tasks for yourself even if you can’t get your spouse on board.
Rules for inheritance will vary by one state to another, but if someone passes away intestate or without a will, this usually applies only to spouses for a partner to inherit. This means that if you are not married, it is equally important to think about estate planning meetings. Even if your partner or spouse will not attend a meeting with an estate planning lawyer, go on your own.
The advisor might make important considerations that you can bring back to your spouse or partner to discuss and you can then pass on any of these recommendations to discuss how you intend to provide for your partner in the event that something happens to you. In some cases, this conversation alone can be enough to highlight to both people the importance of estate planning.
Another way to bring your spouse around to this idea is to look up intestate succession laws where you live. These laws kick into place if you don’t have an estate plan, and they determine what happens to your assets. Seeing what might really happen with no planning can spur some people into action.
Talk to a Michigan estate planning lawyer for more information.