Do stepparents usually inherit the house or does it go to the kids?
I'm curious how most blended families actually handle this because the more we look into it, the more confused I get. I'm 38, my husband is 42 and we've been married for three years. He has two kids from his first marriage (both teenagers) and we're getting ready to buy a house together in Massachusetts. We met with an estate planning attorney this week and one of the first questions was what we'd want to happen to the house if one of us died. I guess I always assumed the surviving spouse would keep living there, but then I started wondering what that means for his kids. On the other hand, if the house immediately goes to the kids, where does that leave the surviving spouse?
We're all on good terms so this isn't about anyone trying to cut anyone else out. I just realized we'd never talked through what fair looks like in a blended family.
I know every family is different but I'm curious what this has looked like for other stepparents.