Young or Old—Love is in the Air

Ah, it’s spring again…and love is in the air.  The equinox is only a couple of weeks away, and although it’s not as obvious in some parts of the country such as California, in others the evidence is all around. As Tennyson said,

“In Spring a fuller crimson comes upon the robin’s breast;
In the Spring the wanton lapwing gets himself another crest;

In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnishe’d dove;
In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.”

But love isn’t just for the young; plenty of mature people are falling in love and thinking of spring or summer weddings as well—and they are finding that marriage (or remarriage) late in life brings with it a whole new set of things to consider. In fact, According to writer Brigitte Yuille, there are at least 5 things to consider before a late-in-life marriage.

With assets build up over a lifetime, grown children or grandchildren, even perhaps an estate plan already in place, seniors know it’s going to be a challenge to merge two lifestyles, and there are certain areas that simply will not merge. Some seniors are choosing to forgo the challenge altogether and continue their relationship without the official title of “husband and wife,” but for others the ceremony and legal status is very important.

And really, there’s no reason why you can’t marry your late-in-life sweetheart, provided you talk about things such as finances, estate planning, and long term care. These conversations should take place not only between the couple themselves, but may also be appropriate with their grown children, and with an attorney and accountant as well. Having a trusted professional to answer the questions that will inevitably come up can prevent a number of arguments or difficult situations, and smooth the way for that blissful walk down the aisle.