This is the first part of our multipart series on protecting your spouse.

You have searched for and found the love of your life, maybe your first love, or maybe after a previous marriage. As you have built your life together, you have probably weathered your fair share of storms and grown stronger because of them. To prepare for the future and the possibility of no longer being around for your spouse, it is important that you plan now to protect the surviving spouse later. As part of a married couple, you are uniquely situated to further protect your loved one upon your passing through the use of special planning techniques only available to married individuals.

Lifetime QTIP Trust
If you and your spouse individually own unequal amounts of money or property, this type of trust will allow the wealthier spouse to transfer money and property into trust for the benefit of the less wealthy spouse. This is a great alternative to outright gifts to the less wealthy spouse, as that would result in complete loss of control over the money and property and vulnerability to the money or property by the donor spouse’s potential creditors. A Lifetime QTIP Trust is also a helpful strategy for couples in a second or subsequent marriage. During the less wealthy spouse’s lifetime, he or she will receive all of the trust income and may be entitled to receive trust principal for limited purposes. When the less wealthy spouse dies, the assets remaining in the trust will be included in his or her estate, making use of that spouse’s otherwise unused federal estate tax exemption.

If the less wealthy spouse dies first, the remaining trust property can continue in an asset-protected, lifetime trust for the wealthy spouse’s benefit (subject to state law) and the remainder will be excluded from the wealthy spouse’s estate when he or she dies. After both spouses die, the balance of the trust will go to the beneficiaries named by the wealthy spouse when the trust was originally created.

We Are Here to Help
You have worked hard to build a wonderful life for yourself and your family. We are here to help develop a plan to ensure that your spouse and family will be taken care of upon your passing according to your wishes. At Marvel Law, we are here to help serve you with purpose.  Click here to email us or call us at 309-807-2885 for your FREE 15-minute consultation.