In some situations, state laws may automatically allow a spouse to receive certain information for you, however, unmarried couples have an additional layer of complication associated with their estate plan.
For example, what happens if you are in an accident or are diagnosed with an illness in which you are unable to handle your current financial transactions on your own? You need to choose a trusted individual to serve in the role of power of attorney agent. With an active power of attorney, this person will step in and manage these responsibilities immediately.
Otherwise, the state may have to handle this appointment process and depending on your state’s laws, your partner may have a lower priority compared to blood relatives or may not be included at all. This can be problematic if you have an estranged relationship with your family or do not trust them to carry out decisions or tasks as you would. It is very important to make sure that the right people are in charge of your affairs.
If you’re an unmarried couple that is on track for marriage in the near future or wishes to appoint this other party in a position of trust within your own estate, work with a Pasadena estate planning lawyer to draft a power of attorney document. This power of attorney document helps to ensure that your wishes are followed should something happen to you, and you become unable to speak up for yourself.
