Will Planning For Second Relationships And Blended Families

For the purpose of this article, I group both married couples and unmarried ‘common-law' couples under the term “spouse”. Individuals who enter new committed relationships face special considerations when making their Wills, especially if one or both partners have children from prior relationships. Spouses should understand the options available to ensure that prior children are cared for adequately along with the new spouse and any new children together.

To start with, while it is possible to leave one's estate entirely to a new spouse, this may not be suitable. Doing so would make it uncertain what, if anything, the predeceased spouse's children from a prior relationship would eventually receive. The estate may be largely used up by the surviving spouse over their remaining lifetime, especially if they pay for a retirement home or special care costs.