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Many people think of writing upa willwhen its too late.
If this husband had it, his current and ex-wife would have avoided a lot of drama.
Theex-wifedemanded the widow share the deceased husbands estate with the children from his first marriage.
We reached out to Wealth ConsultantCatherine Valega, CFP, and she kindly agreed to comment on the situation.
Read her expert insights below!
According to thePew Research Center, 55% of breadwinners today in the U.S. are still men.
The author of this story doesnt specify whether the husband did any estate planning.
Way too many people avoid this, she says.
Still, she admits that paying an attorney would always be preferable.
If youre young and healthy, get a large-term life insurance policy, Valega recommends.
Review beneficiaries often, she adds.
However, in a particular case like this, according to Valega, its best to contact an attorney.
Which, it seems, the author has already done.
Legally, I get everything, she wrote in a comment.
So, her dilemma is not a legal one but a moral one.
Some said the OP is acting incredibly selfish by not considering the children from her husbands first marriage.
A partner might take dividing the estate as an insult.
In most cases, after all, a spouse inherits their deceased partners estate.
A decision to divide the estate might, in turn, divide the couple as well.
Still, an individual should let their wishes be known in writing before passing away.
What you want may not happen, though, unless you have done the right estate planning beforehand.
No one can really tell the OP what to do in this situation.
Hopefully, after reading the input from many netizens, she finds it easier to make a decision.
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