6 Estate Planning Essentials to Keep Your Blended Family Protected

As your family grows and changes, so do your financial priorities. Estate planning becomes more complex as you work to balance everyone’s needs and hopes for the future. You, your spouse, and your children each bring unique perspectives and experiences to the table, which can shape your estate planning priorities and objectives. 

Whether this is your second marriage, a long-term partnership, or a growing household with children from previous relationships, the key is to be a transparent and clear communicator. Estate planning often involves hard conversations and hypothetical scenarios no one wants to think about. But the greatest gift you can give your family is to talk through your plans and wishes now, so they feel prepared to address those hard decisions later on. 

To help, we’ve compiled a list of six estate planning documents to review before the year ends. 

Beneficiary Designations

A beneficiary designation is included on many important financial documents, including your life insurance policies, annuities, retirement accounts, and, often, your bank accounts as well. Yet, updating these designations tends to fall low on a family’s to-do list. 

Many people are unaware that beneficiary designations override stipulations in your will and can determine where a significant amount of assets go after death. If beneficiaries aren’t kept up to date, you could inadvertently leave money to the wrong person. A former spouse listed as the beneficiary on an old account could still legally inherit those assets, despite what’s indicated in other legal documents (like your will).

Take time to review the beneficiaries listed on your accounts and whether those choices still reflect your wishes. If you’ve remarried, you might want to include your new spouse, or, depending on your financial plan, divide the benefit among children from both sides.

Your Will

Your will is one of the most personal documents you’ll ever create. For blended families, it often comes with added layers of complexity and emotion. Take a moment to ask yourself if your current will truly reflects your whole family as it is today.

There’s no single right or wrong way to structure inheritances, especially for families living in a blended household. Some couples prefer to keep assets separate and each leave their estate to their own children, while others choose to combine everything and distribute equally among all children.

What matters is that the plan feels fair, reflects your true wishes, and minimizes the potential for confusion or hurt feelings later on. Conversations around your will and how your assets should be divvied up can also spark deeper dialogue about family values, legacy, and what “fair” really means in your unique situation.

And if either you or your spouse has a minor child, be sure to name (or update, if needed) a legal guardian in your will. In blended families, guardianship decisions can be more nuanced. Making your wishes clear in writing helps avoid confusion and ensures your child’s care reflects your intentions.

Healthcare Directive

A living will or healthcare directive spells out your preferences for medical care in the event you become incapacitated. It can also be used to indicate who should make healthcare decisions on your behalf.

For blended families, this can be a sensitive (but vital) discussion. Do you want your spouse to serve as your healthcare proxy, or would you prefer to involve one of your adult children in those decisions? Again, there’s no wrong answer here, only what feels right for your relationships and your comfort level.

Taking time to document your wishes can also spare your loved ones from uncertainty during a difficult time. Think of it as an act of love for everyone involved.

Life Insurance Policy

 If your financial responsibilities have changed since combining families, it might be time to revisit your life insurance coverage. With more dependents under your roof, for example, do you need to increase your coverage? Or, if you have adult children but your spouse has younger children, should you obtain a policy with a longer length of coverage?

Remember, you’ll also want to review your policy’s beneficiaries to ensure the right people are set to receive the death benefits. 

Titles, Deeds, and Joint Ownership

It’s not always glamorous, but reviewing property titles, deeds, and account ownership is one of the most important things you can do as a couple.

Go through your major assets, including your home, vehicles, and checking or savings accounts, and decide together what should be held jointly and what should remain separate. These decisions can have big implications for both estate distribution and taxes, especially if one or both of you have children from a prior relationship.

If you’re unsure how to title certain assets or accounts, an estate planning attorney can help you understand the implications and make sure everything aligns with your overall plan.

Guardianship Forms

If one or both of you are bringing minor children to the relationship, double-check what you or your spouse is legally able to do as a step-parent. Certain documents, like a caregiver's authorization affidavit, can be used to give your spouse the authority to enroll your child in school, give authorization for medical care, and make other important decisions.

You might also consider granting a power of attorney for childcare decisions in case of travel or medical emergencies. Having these documents in place before you or your spouse ever needs them can help avoid last-minute confusion or legal challenges, should something unexpected happen.

Keep in mind, these forms become null and void if a parent passes away. In that case, the legal guardian named in your will takes over—once again, this emphasizes the importance of a coordinated and up-to-date estate plan.

Get Your Estate Plan Ready for 2026 and Beyond

An up-to-date estate plan can be one of the greatest gifts you give your spouse and children. Not only can it be used to transfer wealth effectively, but it also protects the people you love from financial and legal headaches after death. 

The end of the year is the perfect time to review where things stand, make updates as needed, and start fresh in 2026.

If you’d like to review your estate plan together, our team can walk you through the process and coordinate with your attorney to make sure everything reflects your family’s wishes. Reach out today to learn more and schedule an appointment with our team.

Based in St. Paul, MN, Endurance Financial Group is an Independent Registered Investment Advisor partnering with blended families to combine their household finances in a unified financial plan that works for all members of the family. They can be reached by phone at 651-605-2318 or online at efg-planning.com. 

This material has been edited with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools. The information presented is based on sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of publication. This material is for educational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views of the author, presenter, or affiliated organizations. It should not be construed as investment, tax, legal, or other professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation before making any decisions.