Estate planning essentials for blended families

Why defaults fail blended families

Intestacy rules assume a single family unit. In blended households, they can unintentionally disinherit stepchildren or leave a surviving spouse and children from a prior marriage competing over the same assets.

Tools like qualified terminable interest trusts, updated beneficiary designations, and clear letters of intent let you provide for a current spouse while preserving an inheritance path for all of your children.