Speak to an accountant about whether separate or joint filing is to your advantage. You may also be able to claim an estate tax marital deduction, form a marital life estate trust and other family trusts, create a family partnership, and participate in other financial vehicles designed to reduce estate and tax obligations. Upon the death of a spouse, you may be automatically entitled to a share of his or her estate even if the spouse died without a will. Each state has its own formula for awarding the surviving spouse a percentage of the estate. Insurance companies sometimes offer lower insurance plans for married couples.
Some people can escape deportation as a result of marital status.
In most states, the working spouse's pension and any money set aside for retirement are treated as property of the marriage. A surviving spouse may be provided with the deceased spouse's pension in certain circumstances. A few company-sponsored pension plans allow a surviving spouse to receive a majority of the benefits a spouse received while alive. A surviving spouse may also receive social security benefits based on his or her spouse's earnings if the survivor is sixty-two years of age or older and was married to the decedent for more than one year. These monies may be one-half of the spouse's benefits and may be reduced by other benefits accruing.