Ways to deal with estate matters when older couples remarry

Mr Lim Chee Khiam has brought up the controversial issue of whether children should have a say in their parent's remarriage (Children shouldn't interfere with parent's remarriage; Aug 17).

Last year, 470 men aged 60 and above got married.

If the aged parent has mild dementia or is on the verge of dementia, then the children have a moral responsibility to advise the parent on whether to embark on a second marriage.

Older couples have more time and money, and no longer have childcare commitments or the stress of work. But the rocks in the lagoon of love are the adverse reactions of the adult children.

How a second marriage affects estate plans is a common concern among older couples, who are likely to bring property into the relationship and want them to go to children from previous marriages.

One way to deal with this problem is to create a life estate for the surviving partner.

This gives the survivor the right to live in the home until he or she dies, at which time, the house passes on to the children or other heirs.

Heng Cho Choon

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 19, 2017, with the headline Ways to deal with estate matters when older couples remarry. Subscribe