Estate Planning for Blended Families
Solutions to protect your spouse and children in your estate plan.
Michigan Attorneys | Offices in Grand Rapids and Northville | Google 5-Star Rated | Transparent Fees | Virtual and In-Person Meetings
Common Concerns for Blended Families & How To Solve Them
Effective planning requires honest answers to difficult questions. We are here to help you navigate them.
"If I die first, will my spouse cut my kids out?"
No. We design your plan specifically to prevent this. By creating separate trust shares for each spouse, we ensure that your specific assets are preserved for your own children, regardless of who passes away first.
"What if my spouse remarries after I'm gone?"
Your children's inheritance will remain secure. Because your portion of the estate is locked into a separate trust upon your death, a future marriage by your surviving spouse cannot alter the funds you’ve set aside for your children.
"We treat all kids equal, but what if we divorce?"
Your plan automatically adjusts to protect you. Under Michigan law, divorce typically revokes any inheritance left to a former spouse. Furthermore, step-children also lose their claim to your estate immediately upon divorce unless you specifically rewrite them back in..
"I want my spouse to stay in our house, but I want my kids to inherit the equity."
We can solve this with a 'Life Estate Trust.' This allows your spouse to live in the home for their lifetime (or a set period of your choosing), but ensures that the property title, and its value, automatically transfers to your children once that period ends.
Core Estate Plans
The solutions...
Basic Estate Plan
for Blended Families
$2,450 for 2 persons
What Is It?
Includes everything in the Basic Estate Plan for Children, plus an additional trust to manage property separately for the children of each parent in a blended family.
What's Included?
● Consultation to customize your plan
● Last will & testament
● A separate revocable trust for the children of each spouse
● All instructions and forms needed by the trustee to administer each trust
● Power of attorney
● Healthcare directive
● Appointment of guardian
● Appointment of funeral representative
● Estate planning roadmap
● Heavy duty binder for original documents and flash drive for copies
Who's It Designed For?
Parents of blended families who:
● Have children from previous relationships
● Are comfortable with probate later
● Desire to set aside assets (e.g. life insurance or retirement accounts) solely for their children
● Need a complete estate plan for children at a lower cost than our Living Trust Plan for Blended Families
Why You'll Love It
● Lowest cost complete estate plan to manage assets for young children of each parent in a blended family
● Ensures that children will be financially stable without meddling by a former spouse or partner
● Completely customized documents to your specifications
● Designate separate trustees to manage property for children of each parent until a specified age
● Designate separate guardians to care for children of each parent until adulthood
● Feel confident that your assets will be handled for children as you direct
● Includes instructions and forms to guide trustees to handle trust property
Living Trust Plan
for Blended Families
$3,750 for 2 persons
What Is It?
Includes everything in the Living Trust Plan, plus two (2) additional trusts to manage property separately for the children of each parent in a blended family.
What's Included?
● Consultation to customize your plan
● Joint revocable trust for both parents
● Separate revocable trusts for each parent's children
● Certificate of trust for each trust
● Authorization to disclose medical information
● Warranty deed to fund trust
● Assignment of personal property to trust
● Agreement to transfer business assets to trust
● Trust funding instructions
● All documents needed by the trustee to administer each trust (trustee instructions, acceptance of trust, certificate of trust, notice to beneficiaries, and notice to creditors)
● Pour-over will
● Power of attorney
● Healthcare directive
● Appointment of guardian
● Appointment of funeral representative
● Estate planning roadmap
● Heavy duty binder for original documents and flash drive for copies
Who's It Designed For?
Designed for parents of blended families who:
● Desire to avoid probate
● Have children from previous relationships
● Desire to set aside and manage assets solely for their own children
● Need a complete estate plan to manage property for children
Why You'll Love It
● Comprehensive estate plan to manage and distribute separate trust assets to any number of beneficiaries without probate
● Ensures that children will be financially stable without meddling by a former spouse or partner
● Completely customized documents to your specifications
● Provides maximum control over distribution and administration of trust assets for blended families
● Designate separate trustees to handle estate administration for children of each parent
● Designate separate guardians to care for children of each parent
● Feel confident that your assets will be distributed as you direct
● Includes instructions and forms to guide trustees to handle trust property without an attorney
Meet Our Team
We have a great team of experienced people you will enjoy working with.
Client Reviews
What our clients say about us...
Very professional and knowledgeable! They made the detailed process very easy for me to understand and make the best decisions.
Vickie B.
Grand Rapids client
This was such a nice experience working with this firm for our estate planning. They are extremely knowledgeable and guided us to the perfect plan for us.
Carol Z.
Grand Rapids client
From the very first consultation, the team took the time to explain every detail, answer all my questions, and ensure that my wishes were clearly documented and legally sound.
Derrick D.
Northville client
Extremely knowledgeable and helped us with all our questions regarding laws and procedures pertaining to a detailed trust. We highly recommend this law firm.
Anjali B.
Northville client
How to Start Your Estate Plan
Start Your Estate Plan in 3 Simple Steps...
Step 1: Review
Core Estate Plans
Core Estate Plans are the best way to create a comprehensive estate plan at an affordable cost.
Step 2: Schedule a Consultation
Use our online calendar to schedule a consultation with an attorney.
Step 3: Gather
Information
Complete an Estate Planning Worksheet to prepare for your consultation.
FAQs
Answers to common questions about our estate planning services...
What kind of estate plan do I need?
Core Estate PlansAn estate plan is a comprehensive set of documents to help you plan for incapacity, post-death distribution of property, asset protection, and many other objectives.
We offer several types of Core Estate Plans that are suitable for all Michigan residents. Core Estate Plans provide the best estate planning value when compared to purchasing wills, trusts, powers of attorney, or other documents separately.
We can help you decide what kind of estate planning documents that you need. There is no cost or obligation for our initial consultation. Select the button below to review our Core Estate Plans.
Can you update my current estate plan?
Documents and ServicesWe can update your existing estate plan no matter where and when it was prepared. We offer a wide variety of individual documents and services for this purpose. Select the button below for a complete list.
Why should I choose Estate Planning Law Group?
More About EPLGThese are just a few of the reasons to choose us for your estate planning attorneys:
- Licensed Michigan attorneys
- Over 60 years of combined experience in estate planning and estate administration
- 5-Star Google Rated
- Thousands of happy clients
- Transparent flat fees for all estate planning services
- Guaranteed satisfaction or your money back
- Convenient office locations in Grand Rapids and Northville
- Virtual consultations and document signings available upon request
- Small firm with depth of experience to provide the guidance that you need
What is the process to complete my documents?
These are the steps to complete your documents at our office:
- Schedule a consultation at our office in Grand Rapids or Northville.
- Complete an estate planning worksheet on this website.
- Meet with an attorney to discuss your estate plan.
- Review your documents at home by using our online portal.
- Sign your documents at our office.
- Follow our instructions to implement your plan.
This process can be completed as quickly as you need, but it typically takes 2-4 weeks.
How do I get started?
Schedule a ConsultationThe easiest way to start your estate plan is to schedule a consultation. An initial consultation can be held in-person, by phone, or by video conference. There is no fee for the initial consultation.
When we receive notice of your appointment, we will send you a link to our Estate Planning Worksheet to complete at home. The worksheet will help us to prepare for your consultation.
Contact Us
For more information about our services, please call, send a message, or schedule a consultation.