Sarah Young and Meghan Rodgers tackle Valentine’s Day with a twist, ditching the roses and chocolates to discuss the unsexy but genuinely loving side of romance: legal planning. The hosts argue that estate planning with your spouse is actually one of the most romantic things you can do, protecting your partner from legal nightmares while grieving. They address common misconceptions, like the belief that everything automatically goes to a surviving spouse (spoiler: in North Carolina, if you die without a will and have kids, your spouse might only get half or a third). The conversation covers the importance of wills, naming guardians for minor children, and having both healthcare and financial powers of attorney, because even married couples need legal authority for hospitals and banks to recognize their decision-making rights during emergencies.

The episode dives into the pitfalls of property ownership that trip up couples, whether married or not. Sarah and Meghan explain how married couples can avoid probate nightmares. They share stories of active estate cases where simple phrases at the closing table could have prevented major legal messes, including a current client who now co-owns a house with their 12-year-old child because proper planning wasn’t done. The hosts also tackle cohabitation agreements for unmarried couples and the risks of one partner contributing to a mortgage without having legal ownership.

Sarah and Meghan address the elephant in the Valentine’s room: prenuptial agreements. They reframe prenups not as planning for divorce, but as having honest conversations about finances and protecting each other. This is especially crucial in second marriages or when kids from previous relationships are involved. In North Carolina’s equitable distribution state, prenups remove uncertainty by clearly defining what happens to family homes, retirement accounts, businesses, and inheritances. The hosts emphasize that breakups, especially for unmarried couples with property and children, can be messier than divorces, making cohabitation agreements essential. Their Valentine’s Day advice? Skip the drugstore chocolate (or don’t—chocolate’s great) but have real conversations about estate planning, finances, and your legal future together. Because real love isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about having the hard conversations and protecting each other, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Listeners can send questions and stories to info@motiontospill.com, but remember: this is entertainment only, not legal advice.
Recorded in the Such-N-Such Media Studios in Winston-Salem. Produced by Tim Beeman.

The post Motion to Spill – Episode 009: Love, Legally Speaking – The Unsexy Side of Romance first appeared on Motion To Spill.