E193 What Happens When Your Partner Dies and You’re Not Married?

<p>It’s not uncommon for couples to forgo marriage. Instead, they choose to live their lives together as<br /> partners and significant others. But what does that mean for the other person when their partner dies?</p> <p>In this particular situation, “Ed” wants to leave his estate to his long-time girlfriend, but he doesn’t want to<br /> make one lump sum payment. Ed wants to leave her a set amount per month when he dies. We will use<br /> Ed’s situation to explain how an inheritance works with non-married partners.</p> <h2>Should a Girlfriend Get Inheritance?</h2> <p>Depending on the situation – absolutely, but the courts see it differently. Although many couples live as if<br /> they are married, there is nothing official to legally bind them. So, while the other partner may want them<br /> to inherit their estate, the laws dictate otherwise.</p> <p>If there is no estate plan in place and the decedent died without a Will, then the reality is that the partner<br /> will receive nothing. Unfortunately, the laws do not include a non-married partner when distributing an<br /> estate without a will.</p> <p>In the absence of a Will, the decedent’s next of kin would inherit the estate. By default, this would be the<br /> kids, grandkids, extended family, and so on, but not the partners. This may be completely contradictory to<br /> the decedent’s wishes, as the case with Ed.</p> <p>While Ed intends for his girlfriend to inherit his estate, he will also need to evaluate and ask himself “are<br /> my heirs ok with this?”</p> <h2>What is the Best Way to Leave an Inheritance?</h2> <p>In this situation, as Ed wants to leave his estate to his girlfriend and does not want to leave a lump sum, a<br /> Trust is recommended. A Trust acts as a wrapper for your assets; protecting them after you die. The trust<br /> distributes your estate as you wish, and in this case, it’s to be distributed over time in monthly increments<br /> to his girlfriend.</p> <p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-9030" src= "https://anthonyspar