Many people go into a second or third marriage with children from a previous marriage. This can create an estate planning problem. How can you provide for your new spouse, if he or she is widowed, and also leave an inheritance for your children?
One solution is to include a qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust in your estate plan. The assets you leave to the trust can provide your surviving spouse with lifetime income. Any assets remaining in the trust at your survivor’s death will pass to beneficiaries you name, who can be your children from a previous marriage.
With a QTIP trust, you specify that no one other than your surviving spouse can receive income or distributions of principal as long as that survivor is alive. If so, the assets you leave to a QTIP trust can escape estate tax at your death. Instead, they will be included in your survivor’s taxable estate.
