“A divorce almost always comes with emotional, personal and financial complications. However, a divorce late in life also adds a level of complexity to your estate and tax plan.”
Known as a “Gray” or “Silver” divorce, a couple who divorces in their 60s, 70s and beyond, faces different issues than a divorce earlier in life. Child custody and support are no longer an issue, but dividing up a lifetime of assets, while planning for long-term care in the midst of a divorce, can create its own complications, according to a recent article titled “How Silver Divorce adds a Wrinkle to your Estate Plan” from Westchester Business News.
Dividing Assets. With more assets, but little or no future earning capacity for either party, there’s more at stake in a silver divorce. How will retirement accounts be allocated, and will one spouse need to receive maintenance? A spouse may need to be kept on a life insurance or retirement account to protect them from poverty. Spouses with pensions need to investigate the rules for survivor benefits. It’s possible that a divorced spouse may not have access to survivor benefits, or one of the spouses doesn’t want the other to have access. This is all part of the negotiations.
via blog.graberjohnson.com
