The Cinderella Scenario: Why So Many Mothers Worry About It and What You Can Do Today

There is a story we hear from parents all the time, and it usually comes out in a quiet voice. Something happens to me. My spouse moves forward with their life. Maybe they remarry. Maybe they have more children. And suddenly I am not sure whether what I worked for will stay with the child I have today.

Most people are surprised by how common this fear is. It has a nickname in our community. The Cinderella Scenario. And once you hear it, you immediately understand why it keeps so many parents up at night.

Below is a short video from our founder, Katie Katz, a trusts and estates attorney who has spent more than 15 years helping the wealthiest families navigate situations exactly like this.

Why the Cinderella Scenario is more realistic than people realize

Families today rarely look like one static shape. People remarry, relationships evolve, and blended families are everywhere. None of that is bad. It is simply life. But life moving forward has real consequences when it comes to what happens to your assets and who ultimately receives them.

Here is a stat that often surprises people: research shows that within about two years of losing a spouse, more than 60% of widowed men remarry or enter a new long-term relationship but less than 20% of women do. That means men are most often entering into relationships with new partners, new children, new priorities and new financial realities. And unless you have written instructions that protect your child, the assets you leave behind may not land where you expect.

This happens because of how inheritance laws work. If you do not create an estate plan, your spouse typically inherits everything. Once that happens, they are allowed to use or give away those assets however they choose. Even the most loving, well-intentioned spouse cannot guarantee that priorities will never shift later in life. Future relationships can change things. New children can change things. And suddenly the inheritance you thought would go to your child can be redirected to an entirely different family structure.

This is why so many parents ask us the same question. How do I make sure my child is protected no matter what my spouse’s future looks like?

The real solution is not complicated, but most people never do it

The answer is estate planning, and it starts with something incredibly simple. You have to write your wishes down. Not in an email. Not in a conversation. In legally binding documents. And then you have to tell the people who matter what you wrote so there is no confusion later.

So many families assume everyone will “just know” what should happen. They assume their spouse would never make a different choice. They assume the kids will always be aligned. But none of those assumptions hold up in real life, and that is exactly why estate planning exists. It protects your intentions when you are no longer here to speak for yourself.

A proper estate plan makes two things possible:
First, it makes your wishes legally enforceable. Second, it removes the emotional burden from the people you love most so they are not left guessing, debating or trying to figure out what you would have wanted.

This matters for money, of course. But it also matters for the sentimental things. The family home. The jewelry. The letters or heirlooms you always pictured your child keeping. Without clear instructions, those items can easily end up somewhere you never intended.

What you can do today that truly protects your child

You do not need a complicated estate or a pile of assets to start planning. What you need is clarity. If you want to make sure your child is protected in any future family scenario, the most powerful step you can take is to create your foundational estate planning documents:

• A Medical Power of Attorney
• A Financial Power of Attorney
• A Guardianship Designation
• Clear instructions on how your assets should be handled

Once those exist, everything becomes more straightforward. Your wishes are documented. Your child is protected. And your spouse is not left trying to navigate impossible decisions while also navigating their own grief and future.

It is never too early to put a plan in place. Most people think estate planning is for older adults or wealthy families, but the truth is the opposite. It is for anyone who has people they love enough to protect.

At Mitzi, we are building the simplest path for women and families to create these documents, understand what they mean and keep everything organized over time. Our goal is to make sure you feel calm and confident, not overwhelmed or intimidated.

If you want to be among the first to access Mitzi when we launch in your state, join our waitlist. You will be able to create your foundational documents for early access pricing and finally take this off your list.

Your future self will feel lighter. Your child will be protected. And this fear that so many parents carry will have a clear, practical solution.