Dear Len & Rosie,

When I married my husband we had separate homes. Mine was upside down and I wanted to keep it until it turned around but he wanted to get rid of it. I said I would do that if he would put me on the deed to his home in joint tenancy, which he did. We don't have wills or a trust and I've been trying to get him to do one. He seems to think when he dies, half the house is mine and half belongs to his kids only. We've been married more than 14 years and I've spent lots of money repairing and fixing up this old house. He feels it's all his and his daughters and I feel it's ours and then divided equally between our five kids when we're both gone. What does the law say?

Cheryl

Dear Len & Rosie,

My husband and I have wills, but he wants to get a trust, to save probate fees, he says. We have had our wills for over 30 years and my daughter is listed as our executor. My husband has a son and a daughter, by two different wives. His son has never worked for a living. He isn't disabled. My husband and I have been married for 36 years and have pretty much supported his son our entire marriage. Despite this, my husband wants to make him our trustee.

I want to protect my daughter and grandchildren as my husband's son is not close to them. My husband has a sizable amount of stock in his own name, and he and his son share a $50,000 account inherited from one of their relatives. I'm worried that won't be enough to my husband's son. How can I make sure my daughter will receive her share of what I have accumulated if his son is put in charge of a trust? Should we even get a trust?

Dorothy

Joint Property

Wills vs. Trusts

Tillem McNichol & Brown