Unmarried Couples
Estate planning for unmarried couples: wills, trusts, beneficiary forms, and healthcare directives. Protect your partner without automatic marriage rights.
Do unmarried couples need different estate planning documents than married couples?
Yes, unmarried couples need more comprehensive documentation because they lack the automatic inheritance and decision-making rights that married spouses receive. While married couples inherit from each other by default in most states, unmarried partners must explicitly name each other in wills, beneficiary designations, and healthcare directives. Without proper documentation, a surviving unmarried partner may have no legal claim to shared assets or ability to make medical decisions during emergencies.
