Elder Law Group Blog

Five Reasons Unmarried Partners Need Estate Plans

Jul 1, 2022 | Estate Planning

If you’re not married, but in a relationship, you might be surprised to learn that your  partner could have legal rights to your estate upon your death.  

Committed Intimate Relationship Doctrine: When unmarried persons live together as  a couple for a “significant” period of time, they each acquire rights to the property of the  other person, similar to rights enjoyed by married couples. In Washington state, this is  none as the Committed Intimate Relationship Doctrine. 

On the other hand, long-term, committed partners have no rights to be by each other’s  side if there’s a serious illness, accident, or other event that lands one of the partners in  the hospital.  

Fortunately, with a good Estate Plan, everything you want to accomplish – having your  non-married status, making sure property goes where you want it to go when you die and the right to be by each other’s side at the hospital – all can be achieved. 

Why Are Estate Plans Essential for an Unmarried Couple? 

The legal documents that every person needs, regardless of marital status, consist of  the documents that are in effect while you are living, and the documents that provide for  disposition of your assets after you have passed.  

The latter is appropriately known as dispositive Estate Planning documents. The Will is  probably the best-known dispositive document. A Will ensures that your assets go  where you want them to go. For those in a Committed Intimate Relationship, a Will  ensures that your partner inherits from you what you want them to inherit: nothing more  and nothing less. 

The other essential Estate Planning documents are those in effect during your lifetime.  These documents, often referred to as “Living Documents”, create the legal recognition  and authority for one person to speak and act on behalf of another, if needed. These  documents are the Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare, Durable Power of  Attorney for Finances, and Advance Directive (aka Living Will and Health Care  Directive).

1. Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (HCPOA) 

A Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care is the legal document that authorizes someone to obtain medical information from the provider and give direction on medical  treatment in the event you can’t speak for yourself. This document allows you to grant  authority to your partner, not only to speak with your medical providers, but to give  directions about your medical treatment. 

Without a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, your partner won’t be able to get  information from your health care team, nor make medical decisions on your behalf. 

Who is your decision-maker for your medical treatment if you don’t have a Health  Care Agent appointed under your Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care? 

Absent a HCPOA, state law specifies who will make medical decisions for you when  you can’t. Your medical team will follow state law and, in the order specified in the  statute, look first to your parents, then to adult children, followed by siblings, and on  down the “line of succession” if necessary. The person the law assigns to be your voice  may be some family member that you might not want to direct your medical treatment. 

Or, the court can appoint a legal guardian, who may be someone you’ve never met. 

The moral of the story: Create a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care that names  your partner (or whomever you trust, if not your partner) to act on your behalf in the  event that you’re not able to make decisions for yourself.  

2. General Durable Power of Attorney for Finances (GDPOA) 

A General Durable Power of Attorney for Finances is similar to the Durable Power of  Attorney for Health Care. It authorizes someone you choose to act on your behalf  concerning your finances in the event you are unable to act yourself.

For instance, if you are suffering from the ill-effects of medical treatment and you are  not able to manage your own finances, with a General Durable Power of Attorney, the  person you choose (known as your agent, “attorney-in-fact” or simply “POA”) can pay  your bills and conduct business on your behalf.  

There are safety nets in place that make abuse of this power unlikely to occur. The most  effective protection is having a qualified Estate Planning and Elder Law attorney draft  the document. Online forms do not contain protections. Importantly, with a GDPOA, you  still retain power over your finances. Your agent owes a fiduciary duty to you to act only  in your best interests. And, if for any reason you no longer wish for this document to be  in effect, you can revoke it, as long as you have capacity. And, somewhat surprising  and frustrating to many, the GDPOA ends upon your death. 

The value of the General Durable Power of Attorney is that it gives your partner the  ability to help you with your finances if you need it. 

Why is a General Durable Power of Attorney important for unmarried partners? 

This document is important because, without it, your unmarried partner doesn’t have the  legal right to make financial decisions for you. Even if your partner is a co-owner of your  bank account, there are situations in which joint account ownership isn’t enough. In the  event you lose capacity, your partner cannot act on your behalf. For instance:  

• Without a GDPOA, your partner cannot make the financial arrangements to admit  you to the hospital or have you transferred to another facility if necessary. 

• If you own a home together and your partner wants to sell it, they can’t because your name is on the deed also. A General Durable Power of Attorney is needed  to give them legal authority to sell your interest in the house. 

• If you are incapacitated and your partner does not have a GDPOA for you, the  court will appoint a conservator to handle your finances. This person may not be  a person that you know. Or it may be a person that you know but don’t trust with  your money. 

If you want your partner to have legal authority to assist you financially if you become ill  or incapacitated, and want to avoid court involvement, you must give them that authority through a General Durable Power of Attorney for Finances.

3. Living Will (aka Advance Directive or Health Care Directive) 

The third Living Document is commonly called a Living Will. A Living Will is an Advance  Directive or a Health Care Directive. 

This document specifies in writing what procedures you want should you be at end-of life. If an accident or illness leaves you on life support with no hope of recovery, you want someone to be your voice and state your wishes regarding quality vs. quantity of  life.  

The medical team will look to the person appointed under your Durable Power of  Attorney for Health Care; your Health Care Agent, to make decisions about what  treatment you will receive. Without a Living Will specifying what YOU want, your Health  Care Agent will have to make the decision based on what they believe you would want.  Even if they have such knowledge, such a decision is a heavy burden. By putting your  wishes in writing in a Living Will, your voice will be heard, even when you can’t speak.  And should your Health Care Agent ever have to make a life-or-death decision, you will  have given them some measure of peace knowing they are carrying out your wishes. 

4. Last Will and Testament 

A Will is a dispositive document that states how you want to distribute your assets after  your passing. 

Earlier we mentioned the Washington state legal doctrine known as the “Committed  Intimate Relationship Doctrine” (“CIR”), which, under certain circumstances, gives  unmarried partners legal rights to each other’s property. But determining whether this  doctrine is applicable and, if so, exactly who will get what, is far from simple.  

Very likely, there will be litigation to settle your estate unless there is a Will (or Trust).  Litigation is costly, both financially and emotionally for everyone involved. 

A better, clearer, and far less costly alternative to litigation is to have a Will. Why is a Will necessary for unmarried partners? 

The legal authority you granted to your partner under your Living Documents as your  Health Care Agent and financial Power of Attorney evaporates upon your passing.  Without a clear legal right to your property, litigation will be required to determine  property rights.

A key question in court will be: does the relationship fall under the Committed Intimate  Relationship (CIR) doctrine? Did the couple held themselves out as married, referring to  each other as spouses? How long was the couple together? A Washington court  decision held that two years is sufficient to find a CIR, though ten to twenty+ years is  more typical. 

Here are some possible situations that could arise without a Will upon your passing: 

• Even if your partner lives in your house, if the house is titled only in your name,  your partner may have to vacate the house upon your passing. 

• If your partner was not co-owner of your bank account, then your money may be  given to the person the probate judge determines should receive it according to  state law. State law includes the laws of intestacy, which gives preference to  biological relations, and not a partner.  

• If you and your partner are raising children together, following your death the  probate judge may award custody of your minor children to someone other than  your partner, especially if your partner has no legal relationship (biological or  adopted) with your children. 

A simple way to avoid a calamity is to give your partner exactly what you want them to  have by creating a Will.  

5. Revocable Living Trust 

There are many different kinds of Trusts, each serving different functions. Some stand  alone; some are embedded within a Will. Probably the best-known Trust is called a  Revocable Living Trust. 

A Trust is a document that is intended to control your assets. The “living” part of this title  is because this Trust is established while you are living. And the “revocable” part of the  title stems from the fact that you can change the terms of the Trust at any time,  including revoking it in full (unlike an Irrevocable Living Trust). 

All of your assets that can be, must be titled in the name of the Trust. You, as the  Trustee, have full access to all your assets while you are alive. The Successor Trustee  (meaning the person you designate to handle the Trust after you have passed) has full 

access upon your death. The primary purpose of a Revocable Living Trust is to allow for  a seamless transfer of assets upon your death without the need for probate. 

The Revocable Living Trust can be a very effective way to provide for your non-married  partner. Your attorney will help you decide if a Will or Trust is a better Estate Planning  tool for you. 

Estate Planning Gives Your Unmarried Partner Rights 

Through proper Estate Planning, your unmarried partner can have nearly the full  privileges they would have as your married spouse. 

That being said, there are some rights that only a legal marriage can confer, such as the  right to your social security benefits, legal standing in a wrongful death or survival  lawsuit, employment survivor benefits, etc. 

But, by creating your Estate Plan, you can accomplish your goals of making sure your  partner can speak on your behalf and make decisions for you if you are incapacitated; and they will receive the assets you want them to receive upon your passing. 

A good Estate Plan protects you, and the ones you love; and that’s the most important  goal of all. 

For more information, call or email us at ELG Estate Planning.

Preserving Your Hard-Earned Assets For Your Spouse

During your career, you worked hard and acquired certain assets. You want both you and your spouse to enjoy the fruits of your labor for the remainder of your lives. The last thing you want to worry about is losing your life’s work to estate taxes, long-term care...

3 Lessons Parents Teach Their Children That Relate to End-of-Life

If you have children, you know that being a parent is both rewarding and challenging.  During the course of your child’s life, you have stepped into the role of doctor,  counselor, friend and comforter. But one of the biggest roles you will play during...

“I Love You” Wills
What Can Go Wrong?

It just makes sense. You’re married and you want to provide for your spouse after you pass. Logic suggests that the best way to ensure that your spouse is provided for is to leave everything to them through your Will. It should just be a simple matter of stating in...
Elder Law Group Logo

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Please subscribe to learn more about how Estate Planning can protect you, your family and your money.

You have Successfully Subscribed!