DEATH BENEFITS
The emotional turmoil when a lifelong partner dies is bad enough. But if you two are not married, unless your partner specifically declares so in his last will and testament, under the current legal structure of most states, you’ll get nothing. Even worse, you could lose what is (or was intended to be) yours. For example, let’s say you moved into a home already owned by your partner, and started contributing toward its upkeep and maintenance. Maybe you even started paying half the mortgage, or covered other expenses in the home. Arguably, you are entitled to at least something in return, right? Well, don’t count on it. Even with a will, this is open to legal challenges. His family may adore you now, but greed is a powerful emotion; and when money
is at stake, quite often the gloves come off. Marriage offers far greater legal protection to either spouse in the event of the other’s death.
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