As a Gay Dad in Nebraska, I Know Why LGBTQ+ Estate Planning Really Matters
If you’re LGBTQ+ and living in Nebraska—whether you’re married, partnered, co-parenting, flying solo, or just trying to survive extended family gatherings—you already know: the law hasn’t always had our backs.
When it comes to protecting our families, our bodies, or our relationships in a crisis, the legal gaps can be brutal. That’s why LGBTQ estate planning isn’t just paperwork. It’s protection. It’s peace of mind. It’s power.
Why LGBTQ Families in Nebraska Need Estate Planning
I’m not just writing this as an attorney. I’m writing this as a gay dad raising a daughter here in Lincoln. I’ve felt that quiet stress:
What if something happens to me? Who steps in? Would my daughter be protected? Would my partner have any legal rights?
Even in a post-marriage-equality world, Nebraska law still makes assumptions that don’t always fit. If you don’t create a plan, the law defaults to next of kin—often blood relatives—whether or not they understand, support, or even accept your life.
That means the people you trust most—your partner, your chosen family, your best friend, your community—might have zero legal authority when it matters most.
LGBTQ Estate Planning Isn’t Just About Death—It’s About Control
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about what happens when you die.
It’s about what happens if you can’t speak for yourself. It’s about:
Who makes medical decisions for you
Who can access your finances if you’re incapacitated
Who becomes your child’s guardian if something happens to you
Who inherits your home, your business, or your personal items
Who is protected—and who isn’t
And if you don’t spell it out clearly in legal documents? The law will choose for you. And it may not choose the people you’d want.
What LGBTQ Estate Planning Should Include
Here at Zachary W. Anderson Law, I work with LGBTQ+ Nebraskans to create estate plans that reflect our lives—not the outdated assumptions the law still carries. That typically includes:
Last Will and Testament – to control who inherits what and who manages your estate
Revocable Living Trusts – to avoid probate and streamline asset distribution
Financial Power of Attorney – so someone you trust can manage your finances if you can’t
Healthcare Power of Attorney & Advance Directives – so your medical decisions stay in the hands of your chosen person
Guardianship Designations – especially crucial if you’re raising children
Beneficiary Reviews – to make sure your life insurance, retirement accounts, and other non-probate assets go where you want them to
These aren’t just legal tools. They’re how you make your life, your love, and your family legally visible.
You Don’t Have to Have It All Figured Out
So if you’re queer, trans, gay, lesbian, nonbinary, bi, ace—or however you move through the world—and you’re in Nebraska? This is your sign to stop putting off your estate planning.
You don’t need a mountain of assets or a traditional family structure. You just need to start. I’ll walk you through the process with clarity, warmth, and zero judgment—no legal jargon, no assumptions, and no pressure.
You Built This Life. Let’s Make Sure It’s Protected.
You’ve worked too damn hard to build the life you have.
Let’s make sure the law respects it—even when you’re not able to speak for yourself.
Contact Zachary W. Anderson Law at 402-259-0059 or email zach@zandersonlaw.com.
I’ve got you.