Estate planning is an important process for both men and women to look into. Married couples, single parents and everyone else with any level of assets must know exactly how to leave those assets behind to their loved ones and what steps to take to make their wishes known.
That being said, it is especially important for women to know as much as they can about estate planning. Married women may want to be heavily involved, for instance, even if their husbands are usually the ones who do the financial planning for the family.
The last person in control of an estate will likely be a woman
The reason that this is so critical is that women live longer, on average, than men. This means that the odds are high that women will be in final control of their estates. This is clearly true for single women or female same-sex couples, but it also holds true for opposite-sex couples. Most of the time, the husband is going to pass away first, the family’s assets are going to belong to the wife alone, and she is going to leave them to her children or other heirs and beneficiaries.
Certainly, this doesn’t mean men shouldn’t have a say or that couples shouldn’t work together to make their estate plans. But it does mean that women likely should not leave all of the planning to their husbands, or they may feel very disconnected from that plan when they take over. The more both people know about the plan, the better the odds that things will proceeds smoothly for the entire family.
Where to turn when you need help with your estate plans
If you’re interested in creating an estate plan, just be sure you know what steps to take to carefully weigh your options. An experienced legal advocate can help you determine your needs and find the best path toward your goals.