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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Giving grandchildren different amounts of inheritance

257 replies

Darinki · 25/05/2024 23:52

Good evening all,
I am posting on behalf of a friend who isn’t massively tech literate but is seeking advice, obviously she will get professional advice but it is causing a lot of worry and I want to give her some opinions to help in decision making, she knows I am posting and has encouraged it.

My friend is in her 70s, she’s recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer, her husband passed away in 2022.
She had two children, one passed away many years ago the other is in his mid 50s. She has 3 grandchildren, 2 are her sons and 1 is her late daughters. They are all between 18-22.

When it comes to assets all she really has is her house, she got a valuation done recently and it was was around 1.2 mil. She also has some cash savings but she suspects these will be spent on care as her condition worsens.
She has already spoke to her son and he has suggested when she re-writes her will they just skip a generation and go straight to the 3 grandchildren.
Her daughters daughter got inheritance from her mum, she owns property in London worth around 700k at 22 so not doing badly at all, she also has no student debt.
Her sons children will have student debt and other than small savings from their parents no house deposit etc.
Her son thinks because of this the inheritance should be split 10/45/45 or similar. This would still be say £100,000 if not a little more to the cousin who owns property already, but it would also give his 2 children the opportunity to buy a better property. They all live in the London/SE area so housing is expensive!
My friend however is worried that this is unfair on her granddaughter, and is getting herself very stressed trying to decide. She sees merit in both arguments.
so
YABU - It should be equal they all deserve the same
YANBU - It makes sense to give those who have less now more

Thoughts?

OP posts:
NicholJO · 26/05/2024 00:00

Op as a career myself it's hard but turns a blind eye

Doobeeedooo · 25/05/2024 23:59

Split equally. Surviving son being a dick. Granddaughter losing her mother is not something you can put money on.

Precipice · 25/05/2024 23:58

Cheeky of her son to say "oh, you should give my children so much more than my niece"!

The reason the niece has more ATM is because she already inherited from her mother because her mother died young! It seems likely the son's children will inherit from him in turn, only fortunately he is still living.

If the niece gets less, she loses out not only in respect of the grandmother's inheritance, but in terms of the balance long term. Emotionally it's also something that's likely to feel hurtful for her, as if she gets so much less than her cousins, it might feel like granny loved her less .She was already dealt an emotional blow through the early death of her mother.

crenellations · 25/05/2024 23:57

Her daughters daughter got inheritance from her mum, she owns property in London worth around 700k at 22 so not doing badly at all, she also has no student debt.

She also has no mum.
I'd split it equally. Maaaybe she should give the grandkids who need cash a smallish cash gift, separately and privately, if that will help them out. But not in the will.

Ponderingwindow · 25/05/2024 23:57

I would give half to the granddaughter and then give half to the son. That way she is splitting the money equally between her two children.

Her son can forward his portion to his children if he wishes

Onelifeonly22 · 25/05/2024 23:56

I’m sorry for your friend’s situation. I think her son is being awful putting this kind of pressure on his mother. The poor girl has money because her mother died and she inherited early. Presumably his sons will inherit when he dies. I would do an even split. That is more generous to his kids than if a generation wasn’t split as otherwise his 2 would only get 25%. His suggestion is the least fair.

6pence · 25/05/2024 23:55

Fairly split. It’s the only way.