If you’re married, ensure that you and your spouse coordinate your estate plans - Crawford Ellenbogen

Estate planning can be complicated enough if you’re single. But things can get more difficult for married couples. Even if you and your spouse have agreed on most major issues in the past, you shouldn’t automatically assume that you’ll both be on the same page when it comes to making estate planning decisions. Thus, it’s critical that you and your spouse clearly communicate your estate planning goals. Begin with the basic premise that state law generally governs estate matters. Therefore, state law determines if your property is community property, separate property or tenancy by the entirety. Indeed, there’s no circumventing this law when planning for a joint estate.