• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
  • Services
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Veterans Benefits
  • Seminars
  • Areas We Serve
    • Ballwin
    • Chesterfield
    • Clayton
    • Creve Couer
    • Des Peres
    • Edwardsville
    • Fenton
    • Glen Carbon
    • Glendale
    • Kirkwood
    • Maryland Heights
    • Oakland
    • Sappington
    • St. Louis
    • Sunset Hills
    • Valley Park
    • Webster Groves
  • Resources
    • Asset Protection Worksheet
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Chesterfield Elder Law
      • Fenton Elder Law
      • Kirkwood Elder Law
      • Sunset Hills Elder Law
      • St. Louis Elder Law
      • St. Peters Elder Law
      • Webster Groves Elder Law
    • FREE Estate Planning Seminars
    • FREE Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Estate Planning
      • Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Trust Administration & Probate
    • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
    • Medicaid Resources
    • Multimedia
    • Newsletters
    • Presentations
    • Pre Consultation Form
    • Probate Checklist
    • Probate Resources
    • Retirement Planning Checklist
    • Special Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning For Niches
      • Trust Administration
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Amen, Gantner & Capriano | Your Estate Matters, L.L.C.

St. Louis Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorneys

Logo
CONNECT WITH US TODAY (314) 966-8077
ATTEND A FREE WEBINAR
Home / Estate Planning / Does a Married Couple Have to Create a Joint Estate Plan?

Does a Married Couple Have to Create a Joint Estate Plan?

June 6, 2012

Estate Planning Tagged With: Estate Planning, marriage

If you have an existing estate plan, and have recently married, you may be wondering how your estate plan will change now that your status as a single person has changed. Marriage does typically require an individual to re-evaluate and update an estate plan; however, how that plan changes will depend on many factors. A married couple is certainly not required to create a uniform, joint, estate plan, though many do.

The changes that you make to your existing estate plan will depend, on a large extent, to how your asset structure will change and whether you plan on having children with your new spouse. If you plan on purchasing property together, or you plan on converting existing assets to joint assets, then you really will need to discuss how those assets will be handled in your estate plans with your spouse and reach an agreement. If, on the other hand, you plan to keep separate financial accounts and do not plan to title assets jointly, then the changes you make to your plan will not be as drastic in most cases. Even so, you may wish to make your new spouse the “pay on death” beneficiary of an account or make him or her the beneficiary of life insurance which will require some changes.

If you plan to have children together, then creating a uniform estate plan is more important. Knowing how your children will be taken care of in the event of the death of one parent is crucial and requires careful estate planning. Talk to your estate planning attorney about how best to handle your new married status.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Paul Gantner
Latest posts by Paul Gantner (see all)
  • Staying Current is Especially Important in the Pandemic - November 17, 2020
  • Staying Current is Especially Important in the Pandemic - October 1, 2020
  • How Will You Age in Place and Be Able to Die at Home? - August 16, 2020

Filed Under: Estate Planning Tagged With: Estate Planning, marriage

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Updating Your Plan: Powers of Attorney
Updating Your Plan: Your Trust or Will
Tax Planning for 2021
Updating Your Plan: Beneficiary Designations
What the 2020 Election Could Mean for Your Estate Plan
Preparing for the Unexpected…and the Eventual

Primary Sidebar

Download our free Estate Planning Worksheet

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube

Blog Subscription

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Where We Are

Amen, Gantner & Capriano
10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 425
St. Louis, MO 63127

See Larger MapGet directions

Office Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Map

map for Amen, Gantner & Capriano Your Estate Matters office
  • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
  • About The American Academy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Footer

Connect to us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube
footer-logo

© 2021 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.

Amen, Gantner & Capriano,
Your Estate Matters, LLC

Attorney Advertisement