Florida Estate Planning Lawyer Blog
If you think a Jacksonville same-sex couple is different from you, just ask them. You will find that the problems same-sex couples have with each other are the same complaints you have about your heterosexual wife or husband. Whether it’s how the bed is made, how the vegetables are chopped, or whether the toothpaste is squeezed from the bottom or middle, there is no difference.
Unfortunately, there is a major difference on how same-sex couples are treated by Florida Law. If a married man and woman die without a Will, the Florida Intestacy Statutes will provide that the surviving spouse is able to remain in the home as well as to receive a certain share of the deceased’s spouse estate.
Not so, for the same-sex couple who might have been together for more years than the heterosexual couple. If a same-sex partner dies without a Will (and the house and other assets are titled in that person’s name alone), the surviving partner gets Nothing.
Big difference. The only way to ensure that you will be treated the same as a married husband and wife, is to prepare legal documents such as a Florida Will, a Florida Revocable Trust, or a new Deed to your home. At the Law Firm, we can discuss with you about these and other legal documents that will benefit you and your partner.