One of the goals of proper estate planning is to reduce the risk of conflict in the administration of your estate and the carrying out of your wishes both after your death and during periods of incapacity while you are alive. Though we all like to think that our families (both our legally recognized families and our chosen families) and loved ones will come together and unite during times of crisis, it is unfortunately not uncommon for such crises to lead to painful, emotionally charged conflicts.
Such cases are even more common when it comes to LGBTQ individuals whose legally recognized relatives disapprove of their lifestyle. Although acceptance of LGBTQ individuals is far greater than it used to be, LGBTQ individuals still risk being disowned, shunned, and/or shamed by their relatives if and when they come out. With that in mind, I wanted to take a moment this Pride Month to talk about the particular importance of estate planning for LGBTQ individuals and families.
The most critical thing to understand is that, in the absence of estate plan documents that say otherwise, the law favors biological and legally recognized familial relationships over other relationships. Without a valid Last Will and Testament, upon your death the assets in your individual name will pass by law to your closest legally recognized relatives (known as your “heirs at law”) through a process known as “intestacy.” In Massachusetts, even if you are married, if you die without a Will, there are circumstances where your individually held assets will be distributed among your surviving spouse and your surviving parent(s).
Similarly, if you become incapacitated during your lifetime without a valid Durable Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy, it may become necessary to have a guardian and/or conservator appointed by the Probate Court. As in the intestacy process, the guardianship and conservatorship processes favor biological and legally recognized relationships, giving priority to your spouse and parents to be appointed as your guardian and/or conservator over romantic partners and close friends.
While having a comprehensive estate plan in place can close off many opportunities for disapproving legally recognized relatives to take control of an LGBTQ individual’s estate in times of crisis and potentially shut out or cut off the individual’s chosen family (i.e., romantic partners, close friends, etc.), not all estate plans are created equal on this front. In particular, if you have an estate plan that relies on a Last Will and Testament to control the disposition of assets after death, a public probate process will need to be initiated after your death in order to validate the Will. Part of that process involves giving notice to your heirs at law. This once again gives disapproving relatives an opening to object to the proceedings and attempt to assert control over your estate.
By contrast, a comprehensive estate plan designed to avoid the probate process will greatly reduce the ability of disapproving relatives to cause trouble. While the probate process requires that notice be given to those who would inherit in the absence of a Will even if they are not named as beneficiaries in the Will, under a Revocable Living Trust, only the beneficiaries named in the trust document are entitled to notice. Thus, if you want to ensure that your wishes are followed and that the people you choose to carry out those wishes are able to do so without interference, you should contact an experienced estate planning attorney and create a plan to achieve your goals today.
June, 2021
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