(To the tune of the Brady Bunch theme song)
Here’s the story, of two single parents
Who were bringing up their children separately
‘Til the one day when they met each other
And they formed a blended family
We all know the story of the Brady Bunch. What you didn’t see on the show, that happened behind the scenes, was how Carol and Mike planned for their blended family. Allow us to take some artistic license to explain to you how we think it went.
FADE IN: The scene starts with Carol meeting with her estate planning attorney, Mr. Wills, in his office furnished with mahogany furniture and decorated with orange and black large pill shape wallpaper.
Carol explains to Mr. Wills that she and Mike would like to get married but want to make sure their separate children are protected. Mr. Wills then explains that he can help her by preparing a prenuptial agreement. He also explains that Carol and Mike should consider keeping their finances separated and should execute an estate plan after their wedding. Concerned, Carol says that she loves Mike and doesn’t want to start their marriage off with arguments about finances. Mr. Wills explains that by putting a plan in place now, arguments can be avoided since important decisions are being made at a time when Carol and Mike are happy and rational, not when they are angry and irrational. Carol looks at the camera and says, “You’re right, Mr. Wills. My number one priority is protecting my daughters, and I am going to Mike tonight about the need for a prenuptial agreement and an estate plan.”
CUT TO: The kitchen in Mike’s house at 11222 Dilling Street, Studio City, CA
As Alice prepares dinner, Carol, looking concerned, tells Mike that she has something important to tell him. Mike then tells Carol that he has something important to tell her. They decide that they will say it at the same time. Both Mike and Carol then say together, “We need a prenup!”
CLOSE UP OF ALICE: Alice responds with, “Anyone offering a trip to Europe for the right answer?”
Carol says to Mike, “I just want to make sure my daughters are taken care of and I know we can work something out that we both agree to.” Mike agrees and holds Carol’s hand, “maybe we should keep our finances separate. We can create a joint account for family expenses, but we will maintain our assets separately.” Carol responds by saying, “That’s exactly what Mr. Wills told me! And we can then create an estate plan where we leave our own assets to our kids.” Mike cuts in, “I want to take care of you first, so I am going to have a trust created that will name you as the primary beneficiary with my sons as contingent beneficiaries.”
In the end, Carol and Mike created a loving environment for their blended family by discussing the difficult topics up front. Addressing your estate planning concerns prior to marriage with an experienced estate planning attorney expresses how much you love your spouse and respect that he/she has children of his/her own.
If you need an estate planning lawyer the attorneys at Compass Law Partners can help you in starting your blended family off right!
