[jagusafr]

The estate planning straw argument is what annoys me: anybody can put anybody else in his/her will, NOTHING prevented these people from executing wills, powers of attorney or anything else required for estate planning.

[IrishBrigade]

anybody can put anybody else in his/her will, NOTHING prevented these people from executing wills, powers of attorney or anything else required for estate planning.

only a surviving spouse can inherit an estate in Pennsylvania without paying a significant tax bite...thus, same sex ‘marriage’...

[napscoordinator]

The estate planning straw argument is what annoys me:

It was the hospitals that started this entire mess. If they just let friends into see their friends, we would not be in this mess. Hospitals being picky about who could see someone was a dumb move and ruined our country.

[justlurking]

The estate planning straw argument is what annoys me: anybody can put anybody else in his/her will, NOTHING prevented these people from executing wills, powers of attorney or anything else required for estate planning.

There are many familial relationships you can replicate in a will or contractually. But, not all of them.

• Assets can be bequeathed to a spouse, without estate tax. If there are children, the parents now have a combined estate tax exemption, rather than separate ones.

• Spouses have unquestioned authority to make decisions for the health care of the other, if one is incapacitated. They also have unrestricted visitation rights.

• In legal proceedings, a spouse can't be forced to testify against the other.

• Spouses can file a joint income tax return, and take the joint exemption and joint standard deduction. If one spouse doesn't work, it's a substantial benefit over filing separately.

There are others, but I think you see my point. It's not a "straw argument" at all.