Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Pennsylvania

You have to do something in writing. If you're talking about an insurance policy, you have to name her as beneficiary on the insurance company's forms. Otherwise, you must write a Will naming her as the beneficiary of your estate. Don't do this yourself, because you may not satisfy the requirements for a valid will and then she will not benefit from it. See an estates lawyers in your area.

THIS RESPONSE IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE, SINCE I DO NOT HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED, AND I DO NOT HAVE A REPRESENTATION AGREEMENT WITH YOU.

* If the answers to your question confirm that you have a valid issue or worthwhile claim, your next step should almost always be to establish a dialog with a lawyer who can provide specific advice to you. Contact a lawyer in your county or township.

* Another reason for contacting a lawyer is that it is often impossible to give a good answer in the Internet Q&A format without having more information. The unique circumstances of your situation and things that you may not have thought to mention in your question may completely change the answer. If you want to be sure that you have a complete answer to your question and an understanding of what that answer means, establish a connection with a lawyer who practices in the area of your concern.

I agree with Attorney Jacobson about naming your non-citizen US spouse as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy or a will. But it is not quite as simple as that. There are IRS rules about leaving money to a non-US citizen. You will really need to see an estate planning attorney who handles things like this. I don't know what assets you have, but it will be well worth having your estate plan reviewed and set up by an attorney now instead of you trying to do something and save a few bucks only for your wife to discover at your death that she owes a huge tax bill. She will not be happy if that occurs.