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Estate Planning for Domestic Partners

Estate Planning for Domestic Partners

Article provided courtesy of Katie McAuliffe, Financial Advisor,

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC in Leesburg, VA

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Estate Planning for Domestic Partners

Wealth management, retirement and legacy planning are challenges for everyone, but there are particular issues to consider in passing assets along to surviving partners, particularly for same-sex couples. Your wishes most likely won’t happen unless you have legal documents in place that clearly direct that your domestic partner will inherit some or all of your assets.

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Ordinarily, husbands and wives may pass any amount of assets to the surviving spouse without being subject to federal taxes[1]. That doesn’t apply to unmarried or same-sex couples under current laws. However, there are effective ways to achieve that outcome. More sophisticated planning is required if your estate – including life insurance benefits – exceeds $2 million. That is why estate planning is essential for same-sex couples with significant assets to preserve and direct.

 

It is important to think about whether, when one partner dies, there are essential legal documents in place to make sure the other partner inherits the intended assets. Take a close look at how your beneficiaries are named on important assets such as retirement plans. Many assets transfer to the beneficiaries named in the documents concerning those assets regardless of what your will says. Most people name beneficiaries when they establish a retirement account. Changes in household and family circumstances may call for you to review this information.

 

When unmarried parents, including same-sex couples, adopt a child, it may be possible for both to file as head of household and pay less in taxes – unlike married couples. Establishing trusts for your children can help you provide them with financial security in case anything should happen to you or your partner.

 

Trusts can be an effective way to avoid probate, to pass your assets on as you intend, and to keep matters private. Your financial advisor can work with you, your accountant, and your attorney to guide you through the estate planning process and to ensure your values and your view of the future are reflected in the legal documents your attorney puts in place on your behalf.

 

Both you and your partner should have up-to-date living wills to express your wishes for end-of-life care as well as last wills and testaments. Unmarried couples also must consider having in place hospital visitation authorizations and healthcare proxies that allow your partner to make sensitive decisions on your behalf. You should have durable powers of attorney for finances and a domestic partnership agreement that spells out the contributions each of you make to the relationship. Ask your attorney how to document your relationship most effectively.

 

Wells Fargo Advisors can help guide you through the process. Our Financial Advisors were the first in the industry to receive the Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor℠ (ADPA℠) designation. They have been trained and certified on key issues affecting domestic partners and are dedicated to providing tailored financial planning solutions.

 

For more information about financial issues affecting same-sex couples, request the free brochure Tailored Investment Planning Solutions for Domestic Partners by contacting Katie McAuliffe at Wells Fargo Advisors at 703-777-3803.

 

[1] Wells Fargo Advisors does not render legal, accounting, or tax advice. Be sure to consult with your own tax and legal advisors before taking any action that may have tax consequences.

 

 

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This article was written by Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Katie

Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE

 

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

 

©2013 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved.        0113-05932 [90387-v1] 2/13

 

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