Defining Rights In Blended Families

Every once in awhile, we see something that smacks of a hypothetical. Russell Wilson and his singer wife Ciara have announced that they are expecting (which is wonderful). She has a child by a former relationship with rapper Future. He has no children.

They have said that they want to have a brood. Defining rights could be a challenge. Russell plays football for Seattle and they live there. Theoretically, the child of the former relationship has no rights to his estate unless he adopts. If he were to die, how would that child feel? (I did not say this was a law school hypothetical.)

My point being, in blended families particularly, decisions need to be made as to who gets what. Failure to do so may result in hurt feelings at best, legal and psychiatric bills at worst. Facing up to mortality is tough for all, particularly athletes, but failure to do so creates chaos.