Lathrop GPM Partner Marya Robben Quoted in Wall Street Journal on Blended Families, Importance of Estate Planning
Lathrop GPM Partner Marya Robben was featured in a recent Wall Street Journal article highlighting the increasing number of blended families and the critical importance of proactive estate planning in navigating the complexities of modern family dynamics.
When a parent dies, the typical order of operations for married couples with children is for everything to go to the surviving spouse, and then to their children. But this can be a disaster for blended families since a surviving spouse often has no obligation to leave assets to stepchildren.
"Once the tie that binds dies, there’s no longer a need to get along," said Marya Robben. "Adult children do not have a right to an inheritance."
Read the full article here [SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED]: The Brady Bunch Breaks Down: Estate Fights Tear Stepfamilies Apart