Protecting a cohabiting partner and more…
If you have assets and/or people you want to protect in the event of your death then estate planning is essential. Estate planning is normally triggered by many life events and circumstances. Entering cohabitation is clearly one of those events since - unlike a spouse- a cohabiting partner has little legal protection and taking prompt action is fundamental to protecting him or her.
You may think that owning a house jointly is sufficient to protect your surviving partner and you need to take no further action, for instance making a Will. This is true in that your surviving partner will acquire the property automatically upon your death, however if you wish to protect that property for your children this is not the correct approach.
Have you thought about the options available to you when the desire to protect your partner may run parallel with the interests of other family members, for instance your children or members of your own family rather than your partner’s? Also, there may be other assets in your estate that require you to plan diligently, for instance a life insurance or a pension policy.
By making your Wills we can discuss of those issues that are essential to having a suitable plan in place, to protect not only a cohabiting partner and but other loved ones you wish to protect as well.