When Your Adult Children Get Married

Legal Considerations for Parents

Seeing your children get marriage is a joyful milestone and a natural moment to review your own legal and financial arrangements. This leaflet highlights the key considerations for parents, helping you plan with confidence and protect your family’s future.

Our Services Include:

• Reviewing or updating your Wills and Powers of Attorney
• Making gifts or loans for items such as house deposit
• Protecting your investment through living together agreements
• Family business and asset protection
• Tax planning and later life consideration
• Supporting vulnerable family members

Reviewing Your Lifetime Planning Documents

Your child’s marriage does not automatically alter your existing Will, but it is a timely prompt to review your arrangements. You may wish to reconsider whether your chosen executors are still suitable and whether new family members, such as a son- or daughter-in-law or stepchildren, should be included as beneficiaries. It is also sensible to revisit any specific gifts, such as family heirlooms, property, or financial legacies. If one child has received a significant lifetime gift, you might decide this should be balanced within your estate planning.

If one of your children has greater needs or you want to ensure continued protection for a vulnerable family member, it is important to plan carefully. You might consider setting up a trust to manage assets on their behalf, including tailored provisions in your Will to reflect their specific circumstances, and appointing suitable guardians or trustees to oversee their care and financial support. Thoughtful planning helps provide long-term security and ensures support is managed in a way that reflects your wishes.

Tax Planning

Marriage can alter your children’s financial position, making it a good time to review wider tax planning. You may want to consider how your Inheritance Tax planning is structured, particularly if you are thinking about passing on wealth. It is also important to understand any Capital Gains Tax implications when gifting assets, as these can arise even when no money changes hands. Making use of available annual gifting allowances can also be a practical way to pass on value tax efficiently over time.

Making Gifts or Loans (such as house deposits)

Many parents choose to help newly married children with financial support, such as contributing towards a house deposit. Clear arrangements are essential to avoid misunderstandings and to determine whether the gift becomes part of matrimonial assets. For example, a simple written loan agreement can set out repayment terms, or a Declaration of Trust can formally record any gifts made and who owns what shares of a property or other assets. You may also wish to think about the property ownership; whether you intend to be a beneficial owner, or whether you wish for the house to be bought by the newly-weds as tenants in common instead of jointly. Every situation is different and your Solicitor can talk to you about the best way to protect your investment whilst maintaining family harmony.

Protection Through Living Together Agreements

If you are planning to give your child a substantial financial gift either before or during their marriage, or you are planning to leave them an inheritance in your Will, it is wise to suggest they consider a Prenuptial Agreement. A prenup can both protect any assets your child owns prior to the marriage and help safeguard family wealth, property, future inheritances, business interests and any lifetime gifts you plan to make whilst also setting clear expectations from the outset and lowering the chance of disagreements later. For a Prenuptial Agreement to carry proper weight, it should be signed at least 28 days before the wedding, involve independent legal advice for both individuals, and be based on full and honest financial disclosure

Family Business Protection

If you own a business, it is sensible to review how it is protected for the future. This may include updating shareholder agreements, making sure any partner buy-ins are properly safeguarded, and considering the use of trusts to preserve long-term family wealth. Taking these steps can help ensure that important assets remain within the family and are better protected if relationships change or break down in the future.