Q: Why change names on Deed of home just before death of spouse?
My father has late-stage Alzheimer's. He remarried before the disease to my stepmother. Since he has been in a memory care home she has purchased a different home than the one they lived in together. At first, the new home was in her name only. However, recently she changed the names on deed according to tax records to both hers and his and then again changed the name on the same day to just his name. She has power of attorney over him. I am not sure why she would do that knowing he will most likely be dying soon. To my knowledge, the home would be the majority of their assets. I expect there is a will but, we don't speak, and she was very peculiar in the ways that she operated when he first got the disease.
A:
Without knowing the specific details of your father's and stepmother's situation and intentions, it's difficult to provide a definitive answer.
There could be several reasons for changing the names on the deed, some of which include:
Estate planning purposes: Your stepmother may have transferred the property to your father's name for estate planning reasons, such as making use of tax exemptions or simplifying the probate process upon his passing.
Family dynamics: It's also possible that the transfer is related to family dynamics or other personal reasons that may be difficult to ascertain without more information.
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