Is your house in both your name and your spouse's name?

[Guest]

Both of us on all documents. Hilariously my credit is better than his because I signed on for our water bill when we moved in, and it's been consistently paid for over a decade with little other activity (like our leveraged debt and such) so despite handling almost no money and being the only one who had any student loans (paid off! Yay!) I look like a better bet on paper than him the finance guru :p

[Scarlett]

Both of us on all documents. Hilariously my credit is better than his because I signed on for our water bill when we moved in, and it's been consistently paid for over a decade with little other activity (like our leveraged debt and such) so despite handling almost no money and being the only one who had any student loans (paid off! Yay!) I look like a better bet on paper than him the finance guru :p

That is funny. Same thing happened when i was married to my first husband. I didn't work since our son's birth and although our credit was great my number was 10 points higher.

[TechWife]

I don't think there is any way I will add him to the deed while there is a HELOC open. The goal is five years to pay off HELOC.

 

I think i need a will though.

Everyone needs a will.

[Loesje22000]

Housing is part of DH job.

So we don't own the house, and don't pay rent.

[Danestress]

we just transferred the title on FIL's boat and trailer to SIL, before we sold them, and it was no big deal. She just brought the letters of administration in, they punched a few buttons and she paid whatever the fee was ($15 I think.). But I am sure every state handles things differently.

How long did it take to get the letter of administration?

 

My worry would be that until the estate is settled and all creditors accounted for, property can't be distributed. So if I died tomorrow, DH would have two cars in my name. He could drive them, but could not sell one or transfer one to one of our kids, he couldn't register them in a different state if he wants to move, etc. If they were properly titled, this would be easier.

[Scarlett]

Everyone needs a will.

 

 

I need one because of the house situation.  If I died tomorrow I would not want dh to have to mess with legalities to retain the house.  If I put his name on the deed I don't think we would need a will. 

[TechWife]

I need one because of the house situation.  If I died tomorrow I would not want dh to have to mess with legalities to retain the house.  If I put his name on the deed I don't think we would need a will. 

 

Do you have children? You need a will naming a guardian in case your husband pre-deceases you or dies at the same time.  

 

If you die without a will, he will have to prove that he inherited your portion of the house and that no one else has a claim to it in order to change the deed (children, siblings, etc. could force this into court without a will if they so desired).  

 

Settling the affairs of another person is complicated enough without having to deal with gaining the authority to do so (being a spouse doesn't automatically convey that authority). Why would you want him to have to deal with that? 

Edited May 25, 2017 by TechWife

[Scarlett]

My son is 17 and has a father ( my xh). So no appointing a guardian.

 

Yes I agreed with you that I need to get will because of my house. Once the house has dhs name on the deed no need for a will for anything else. There is nothing else.