When two people decide that it is time to bring their marriage to an end, their lives may be changed in all sorts of ways. Often, divorce can lead to a fresh start, especially for those who may not have been happy in their marriage. However, there are also various legal issues that may need to be assessed, such as the way in which divorce will affect an estate plan. Sometimes, people decide to get married to someone else after they have split up with their previous spouse, in which case they may want to add their new spouse to the estate plan.
A number of questions may arise with regard to your estate if you remarry. For example, you may struggle with making decisions related to whether your new spouse or children from your previous marriage will receive certain assets once you pass away. Moreover, some people worry that if they leave all of their assets to their new spouse, their biological children will not receive anything because their step-parent decided to disinherit them. With blended families and additional matters, there are a number of concerns related to an estate plan that have to be carefully assessed for those who decide to get married again.
That said, you should not hesitate to marry someone you love if you feel that it is the best decision for your life solely because of uncertainty or stress related to an estate plan. By carefully going over the different options you have, you may find an optimal outcome for the entire family.
Our estate planning page has more related to modifying an estate plan.