Till Death Do You Part: Steps Blended Family Spouses Must Take to Avoid Future Heartache

Joe and Martha Dunn were in their 60’s when they met, fell in love, and eventually married.  Both believed they’d spend the rest of their lives together, and they did.   It was the second marriage for each.  Joe and Martha’s children were grown so the couple could concentrate on each other.   The kids came around, Martha’s much more than Joe’s.   Joe thought this was because his daughters struggled with his remarriage after their mother had passed away.

“You’ll just have to accept that Martha and I are together,” he’d told them.  Maybe Martha could’ve been a little friendlier to the girls, Joe realized, but hopefully, Joanne and Kim would someday accept her.   Martha may not have been their mother but she was now his wife

The couple enjoyed tennis; it was a good way to stay active and fit.  Joe hoped he could play for many years beyond his recently celebrated 70th birthday.  Certainly, he never expected to have had suffered that massive heart attack that day on the court.

Martha leaned on her children (two sons and a daughter) to get her through the funeral.  She nodded and spoke a few words to Joe’s daughters at the ceremony but there was no other contact.

The next time Joe’s widow and his daughters got together was when his estate was settled.  Joe had done very well for himself.  He’d built a successful manufacturing business, which he’d sold shortly after he and Martha were married.  Why sit behind a desk when he had a new bride to be with? And so it was, until his untimely death.

His girls looked at each other in disbelief the day they discovered their father had left everything to Martha.   Did he know what he was doing, they wondered?  Certainly, he wouldn’t have wanted his daughters to have nothing left to them …

It’s a story I’ve seen repeated many times through the years.   The second wife inherits everything and then winds up leaving the combined estate to HER children.  The scene also replays itself when the wife passes first and the husband leaves both her and his assets to only his children.   The blood relatives are shut out!

If you ask most spouses in blended families, this isn’t their intention.  In fact, it’s not unusual to have strained relationships between a spouse’s children and the step-parent, as we witnessed here.   Because of this, there’s all the more reason to make sure that your children aren’t denied from sharing in your financial legacy.

What to do if you’re a spouse in a blended family

Are you a spouse in a blended family?  If so and you’re between the ages of 70-75, or about to reach 70, and haven’t put your affairs in order, it’s time to do so!  It starts with having, what I call, “a Powerful Power-of-Attorney.”  Next is determining what the best estate and asset protection plan is for you.  It may be placing your assets into an Irrevocable Trust, or some other such strategy.

Have you made financial provisions for long-term care costs?  In Ohio, nursing home expenses run as much as $10,000.00 per month, every month.  I’ve seen many a substantial financial portfolio (including the home and automobiles) vanish to pay these bills because proper provisions weren’t made.

Don’t become another statistic!  Your first step should be to contact us at The Stano Law Firm to attend one of my bi-weekly free seminars at the Stano Senior Resource Center, 6650 Pearl Road in Parma Heights.  You’ll discover more about your options, and what are your best resources to grow and preserve assets to pay for long-term care.  Plus learn how to leave a financial legacy to your children.  Register at StanoSeminars.com (seats go fast) or call 440-888-6448 to reserve your spot.