Bath towels are not the only things that can be designated “His” and “Hers”, according to an Orange County estate planning attorney. Under certain circumstances it may be wise for married couples to each have their own California estate planning attorney; a recent Forbes.com post provides tips on how to tell if you need separate estate planners:
If just one spouse has children – if only on spouse has children, there may be differing opinions on the division of assets.
Wealth disparity – if one of you is rich and the other has significantly fewer assets and is financially dependent on the wealthy spouse, the poorer spouse may benefit from having a separate attorney.
Duration of relationship – if you’ve only been together a short time, you should consider having separate lawyers.
Number of former relationships – if one or both spouses have a number of prior relationships, you should consider having two different estate planning lawyers.
Prenup – if you used separate attorneys for your prenuptial agreement, you should probably have separate attorneys for estate planning.
Age difference – the bigger the age difference, the bigger the need for separate representation.
Secrets – if you have kept secrets from your spouse that could come out during estate planning, you probably want a separate attorney.
The Flanigan Law Group provides Southern California residents with personal attention for estate planning, administration and litigation legal services. When disputes between families, arise, they are very successful in resolving legal estate issues quickly and efficiently while preserving financial and emotional resources. Contact the Flanigan Law Group at 949-450-0042.