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Finding love at an older age can be difficult but rewarding. If you’ve decided to marry your new partner and spend your golden years together in Minnesota or elsewhere, you have a lot to figure out. As you may know from previous marriages or long-term partnerships, intertwining your personal lives, family relationships, and finances are big decisions. With careful planning and communication, you can build a wonderful new life.
Living Arrangements
Figuring out living arrangements is a team effort that may result in the decision to purchase a new home. By communicating openly with each other, you can figure out whether you want to buy a new home and, if so, where. You need to consider your careers (if both of you aren’t retired), your family situations, and your property preferences.
Whether you decide to purchase a new home or share one of your existing residences, renovations may be in order. But it’s unlikely that as you age you continue being up to the task of doing renovations yourself. Renovating a home involves many elements, such as plumbing, hardwood floor restoration, ceiling and roof work, and even chimney cleaning and restoration in some situations. You can hire a chimney sweeper to take care of any blockages in your chimney and clean out debris and soot so that it works properly. Get started by searching for “chimney cleaners near me,” and then read reviews on websites like Angi. This service is typically no more than $300 depending on the needed services.
Finances: To Combine or Not to Combine?
Since it’s possible that one or both of you has previously been married and have children, estate planning must be a large aspect of any marriage discussion. It’s a good idea to hire an estate planning attorney in Minnesota to work out how your assets are passed down upon death or incapacity. A lawyer who specializes in marriage issues can help you protect yourself and one another from liabilities as you grow older.
How your taxes are filed is also of concern along with financial obligations created by one of you being a business owner. As you age, you may want to relinquish your business to an heir or even a charity entity, and that needs to be outlined in a notarized estate plan to be effective.
Insurance and End-of-Life Care
Health insurance and life insurance policies are crucial to both of you moving forward, and you must decide how to set these things up if they aren’t already in place when you get together. If one of you becomes disabled or loses the ability to handle self-care, you may have to consider paying for home healthcare or a senior living community. An assisted living community or memory care community can enable you to still live together on the campus while one or both of you receives the daily help you need.
Sharing Your Best Years
With careful planning and mutual agreement, you can have a fruitful and loving marriage and enjoy your best years together. Just make sure to account for any issues that may arise and work with trusted professionals to structure any financial or legal liabilities.
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