@Kristi13 wrote:
Given this, would she have to find out how his children filed (standard vs itemized) before she could file hers (standard vs itemized), or is it the first one to file sets the rule for the second?
No. Her decision to use the itemized deduction will force her husband's family to also use the itemized deduction, even if they filed first. They would have to file an amended return. The spouse who chooses to itemize forces the issue, not the other way around.
