父母资助子女在美国结婚购房，如何保护自己权益
在美国投资需要注意的法律问题系列
中国公民张小姐来美读书期间和美国公民李先生相识，恋爱，结婚，计划一起在美国买房。张小姐家境殷实，买房款全部由张小姐在中国的父母资助。张小姐父母想知道如果万一女儿和女婿离婚，如何保护他们自己以及女儿的权益。
有很多种办法可以让父母经济上资助已结婚的子女。可以一种或者多种办法结合，具体情况分析，以达到既不伤感情，又保护权益的作用。
方法1. 比如张小姐的父母可以借款的形式把房款借给小张小李夫妻。小张小李夫妻联合购房后，两人都需给张小姐的父母签署借款（promissory note）协议和抵押协议, 以所购买的房产做抵押，条款里明确每月还款金额，以及利息，还贷期限等，受益人为张小姐的父母。这样可以确保张小姐的父母得到还款。借款协议和抵押协议的还款条款可根据情况灵活掌握，父母可在某种条件下取消全部或者部分借款。需要考虑的是如何使父母和小张小李三方都减少或免除税收方面的义务。
方法2. 张小姐父母可以购买房产，然后将该房产放入信托中，信托的受益人是张小姐以及配偶。这样小张的父母是房产拥有者，但是小张小李夫妻有权居住。该房产不是张小姐的财产，因此即使和李离婚，一般来说也不应该按照夫妻共同财产处理。但是有时家庭法的法官可能会另外考量，需要和信托律师详细咨询。
方法3. 就是小张和小李签署婚前财产协议，声明如果二人离婚，小李自愿放弃对此房产的权益。这种做法直接了当，但是对于刚结婚的小夫妻，可能有感情上的影响。
方法4. 张小姐父母和小张小李夫妻四人共同拥有此房产，因此降低小张小李对房产的拥有权，并可以使张的父母决定关于处置该房产的重大决策。但这种做法由于有多个房产拥有人，一旦某个拥有人有债务和责任，该房产可能都会被涉及。
方法5. 张小姐的父母和小张小李共同成立一个公司LLC来拥有此房产。父母拥有大部分股权，以及所有投票权，小张小李可以居住。LLC的运营协议里可以设置条款，如果小张小李离婚，股权自动购买转让给张的父母。还可以规定在若干年后，父母的股权转让给小张。
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Parents Helping with Purchase of Real Estate
Ms. Zhang a foreign national and Mr. Li a U.S. citizen got married and are now looking to buy a house together. Ms. Zhang’s parents are helping them buy the house but want to know how they could protect themselves in case Ms. Zhang and Mr. Li should divorce.
There are several options available for the parents to help the younger couple. This list is not extensive nor conclusive of all of the parent’s possibilities, and certain provisions could be combined to obtain a desired result. This list also does not address all of the pros, cons, and tax issues with each option.
The parents could lend the funds to Ms. Zhang and Mr. Li. Ms. Zhang and Mr. Li could both sign promissory notes and the house be mortgaged in favor of the parents as security for the payments. This will help ensure that the parents are repaid their money. The note and mortgage can be drafted so that the repayment terms are favorable to the parties and the parents may elect to forgive all or a portion of the repayment. Special care needs to be had to avoid tax ramifications to both the parents and Ms. Zhang and Mr. Li.
The parents could purchase the property and place it in trust for Ms. Zhang and Mr. Li. Here the parents are the owners of the property but Ms. Zhang and Mr. Li may reside there subject to the terms of the trust. The property would not be an asset of Ms. Zhang and therefore not subject to divorce distributions (though it may still be taken in account by the family law judge).
Ms. Zhang and Mr. Li could enter into a nuptial agreement whereby Mr. Li would relinquish Mr. Li’s interest in the property should the couple get a divorce so that Ms. Zhang is protected.
The parents could be joint owners of the property with Ms. Zhang and Mr. Li, thus decreasing the couple’s interest in the property and have the parents involved in major transactions concerning the property. This does not necessary prevent Mr. Li from taking an interest in the property and may expose the property to more liability as there would be more owners involved.
The parents, Ms. Zhang and Mr. Li can create a business entity, such as an LLC, to own the property. The parents could have a majority share or all of the voting interests within the business, and the members of the business can reside on the property. The business can have provisions for automatic purchase of interest should there be a divorce or death of a member. Further and over a period of time, the parents can transfer ownership of the business to Ms. Zhang and/or Mr. Li as they deem fit.