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AIBU?

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Inheritance one

134 replies

Oculusopen · 21/07/2024 15:08

GF & GM wrote matching wills about 15 years ago. They split 10% of their estate among all grandchildren - 6 GCs. 90% of estate to be split equally among their 3 DCs: DC1, DC2 & DC3.

A couple of years later (10 years ago) DC1 died leaving behind GC1 & GC2. DC2 & DC3 took good care of GF & GM. GCs also visited regularly but were not involved in day to day care.

DF & GM recently died in quick succession. GC1 will inherit 1/60 th of the estate.

Does this seem right?

OP posts:
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TerrorAustralis · 24/07/2024 05:49

veryverytiredmummy · 23/07/2024 17:09

I thought DC3 was childless. DC1 had 2 children. DC2 had 4 children and DC3 none.

You’re right, I missed that update. I had thought each DC had two kids each.

That said, although it might be a way around DC2’s actions in the long term, it still doesn’t make her actions right or ethical in the short term. And GC1 & GC2 could end up waiting another 30 years for an inheritance that they should be receiving now. It must feel like a real kick in the teeth on top of the fact that they prematurely lost their parent.

Andwegoroundagain · 23/07/2024 17:15

Well I'd suggest that a solicitor gets involved because this all sounds rather complicated unless the will is super clear !

veryverytiredmummy · 23/07/2024 17:09

TerrorAustralis · 23/07/2024 12:28

Presumably DC3 has their own children who they plan on leaving their assets to.

I thought DC3 was childless. DC1 had 2 children. DC2 had 4 children and DC3 none.

TerrorAustralis · 23/07/2024 12:28

veryverytiredmummy · 23/07/2024 12:22

Sorry if covered already.
What's DC3's view? If you don't get anywhere on contesting the will would DC3 write a will leaving everything to DGC1 and 2? That would even it up a lot.

Presumably DC3 has their own children who they plan on leaving their assets to.

veryverytiredmummy · 23/07/2024 12:22

Sorry if covered already.
What's DC3's view? If you don't get anywhere on contesting the will would DC3 write a will leaving everything to DGC1 and 2? That would even it up a lot.

Diddlyumptious · 22/07/2024 21:39

Have you seen the Will? It's a public document. That way you coukd be sure it was bring dealt with correctly. Good luck

NoWordForFluffy · 22/07/2024 15:59

The will may be perfectly clear, the OP hasn't seen it to know.

TonTonMacoute · 22/07/2024 14:31

This thread is interesting because it shows up how important making a good will is, and how important it is to be clear about your wishes.

DH is an only child and although close to his parents they never really trusted him. There was no good reason for this at all, except they were quite comfortably off and I think think they would have liked to use the threat of inheritance to control him. This tactic failed completely I might say, and we have always made our own way.

The point is that when FIL died his will was utterly weird and basically would have resulted in DH being the heir to any money, but not actually having any control over it!

Luckily as he died first everything went to MIL and we took her along to our solicitor to write a new, and more sensible, will.

ForBetterForWorseOrNot · 21/07/2024 23:11

Depends how the will was written. My GPs set theirs in a way that if a child passed away their share was split by their children. When my gf died after gm, as my aunt had passed and was one of 4 children, her children shared her 25%.

Sunrise727 · 21/07/2024 23:07

Oculusopen · 21/07/2024 21:39

  1. DC2 & DC3 in their 50s
  2. GC1 & GC2 in their 30s
  3. DC2 has 4 children in their 20s. DC3 has no children.

Thank you for answering.
in case discussions for DOV are necessary,

I see why DC2 is grabby (if dc1 share passes to gc1 and gc2 in the Will), because she has 4 kids. But her kids will charge in 10% as well as when dc2 dies. So why should GC 1 and 2 miss out on dc1 share, if not excluded by Will itself?

however, dc3 having no kids, should not be involved in decisions where dc2 wants to justify grabbing more. Dc3 not having kids means 10% is not shared by her kids and dc3 is not complaining or demanding a share from 10% so why dc2 wants to retain dc1’s share?

i asked for ages as GC 1 and 2 have lost parent dc1 so they need all financial help they can get.

dc2 should respect the will and not be grabby!

g cs need a lawyer. CRT will rule as per terms of Will, end of.

ThinWomansBrain · 21/07/2024 22:46

there is a will in my family that specifically states that if my brother pre-deceases the testator, his children/wife do not get his share.
My understanding is that if not specified, the money that the late sibling would have received passes to their next of kin- their children.
If your not clear on the wording of the will, get advice from a solicitor.
If you feel that the will is unfair on the GC that is/are the offspring of the late sibling, the two remaining siblings can gift a share to them by executing a deed of variation.

JohnofWessex · 21/07/2024 22:38

Nothing to stop the Beneficiaries coming to a Deed of Variation of they all agree.

BUT if you write a will you need to cover ALL Eventualities, that means a 90 year old has to think what happens if my infant great great grandchild predeceases me.

In my will

  1. There is a survivorship clause so my beneficiaries need to survive me by 28 days (Think Car Crash, House Fire etc)
  2. There is also provision for what happens of they predecease me
Oculusopen · 21/07/2024 21:39

Sunrise727 · 21/07/2024 21:02

been reading this and everyone has a view.....

all down to wording of the will. that's it.

However, what none has asked, op @Oculusopen are:
1.What ages are dc2 and dc3?
2.What ages are GC1 and GC2?
3.Do dc2 and dc3 have their own children? if so ages? if not, do they plan to have their own kids, or they haven't yet decided?

  1. DC2 & DC3 in their 50s
  2. GC1 & GC2 in their 30s
  3. DC2 has 4 children in their 20s. DC3 has no children.
OP posts:
Sunrise727 · 21/07/2024 21:02

been reading this and everyone has a view.....

all down to wording of the will. that's it.

However, what none has asked, op @Oculusopen are:
1.What ages are dc2 and dc3?
2.What ages are GC1 and GC2?
3.Do dc2 and dc3 have their own children? if so ages? if not, do they plan to have their own kids, or they haven't yet decided?

Schoolchoicesucks · 21/07/2024 20:32

If the will specifies 90% of estate to surviving children and 10% to surviving grandchildren then DC2 is correct.

However I agree with PP that the "right" thing to happen would be for the children of DC1 to inherit the grandchild share and the child share. Then each "branch" of the family still has an equitable share.

If DC2 and DC3 agree to a variation of will then this could still happen, even if that's not what the will says.

I'd like to think that in my family, surviving siblings would be thinking of their nieces/nephews and be proposing a variation.

GenAvocadoOnToast · 21/07/2024 19:42

My brother and I were the GC in this scenario, our dad pre-deceased our grandmother. When our grandmother died, it turned out she (almost certainly influenced by my unpleasant aunt who had POA due to her dementia) wrote us out of the will entirely after our dad died. So we ended up with nothing. The estate was split between my grandmother’s other two DC and their children.

Nanaof1 · 21/07/2024 19:40

maisie123 · 21/07/2024 17:31

It made the children feel like they weren't family.

I can understand that. I think, in my parent's case, my children would have been hurt if they were just ignored because I had predeceased them. My parents really did not have much, but a token remembrance would have sufficed.

DragonGypsyDoris · 21/07/2024 19:30

Follow the will - your feelings don't count at all.

Nanaof1 · 21/07/2024 19:26

Oculusopen · 21/07/2024 17:07

Yes Grandparents died a few months apart. I wanted to explain than since original will was written 15 years ago, no changes were made.

So, do GC1 and GC2 each get 1/60th?

So, who are you in this tangled web of inheritance? It seems like the GP's in this instance, had about a decade to update their will and fix any inconsistencies.

A lawyer should be able to say what the "rules" are in the UK concerning death of one heir and remaining heirs, and DC2 (the executor) should need to abide by that.

Nanaof1 · 21/07/2024 19:14

My parents and DH's parents had/have their will set up that the estate is divided equally among the DC, with the DC sharing with their DC. BUT, if one DC predeceases them, the estate is divided among the remaining children with nothing to the remaining GC or the spouse of the deceased DC.

Whatever the GPs wrote in their will is how it should be done. If they did not specify, then a lawyer needs to give advice as to what is legal for your country.

I can see both sides. On one side, the GC get the deceased parent's share plus what they were "left", which gives them a great deal more than the other GC. The other side, they get what was left to them and the surviving DC split the 90%. I assume the DC that died did not leave a spouse and there is nothing to cover that scenario?

I'm not really sure which way I lean, though probably the second one is the one that, here, would be the legal way if not spelled out otherwise. Either scenario has pitfalls, pressure, positives and negatives.

Wimbledoner · 21/07/2024 18:58

That's not right, you should seek legal advice and contest it.

The thing is it could be right unless in the will it actually says if one of the DC die before the parents that their share will go to the grandchildren. In the law the DC’s share will go to the other two DC unless stated otherwise.

Morechocmorechoc · 21/07/2024 18:56

That's not right, you should seek legal advice and contest it.

SturdyNorthernLass · 21/07/2024 18:51

Hi

It depends on the wording of the Will and if Probate has already been granted, to save any drama with the DC, I would ask the probate office for a copy. If however Probate is some way away (can take over 20weeks from application), then just ask DC (in writing) for a copy of the Will, as Executor, she is supposed to give you regular progress updates etc.

If she is handling Probate herself, she isn't too dim. When most Wills are written professionally, the law firm handling it normally tries to get appointed as Executor, maybe along with a family member. If there is a house to sell, Probate will be needed before it can be sold. If the solicitor IS an Executor, try asking them for a copy of the Will.

So in my Will (written by a solicitor) it says that I leave my estate to be split equally amongst the kids, but should one of them predecease me, if my deceased child has no kids, the money gets split between their siblings but if the deceased has kids (my grandkids), it is given to them. This is pretty standard if professionally written. So you need to see the Will because if this is the case, DC1's kids should get 1/60th plus DC1's share of the estate.

ILoveToCleanSaidNooneEver · 21/07/2024 18:36

Sorry OP, I assumed you were GC1, but that may not be the case.

ILoveToCleanSaidNooneEver · 21/07/2024 18:30

My DGP's will was written that it goes directly to their DC, but in the case of one of their DC dying before them, then their share would pass to their DC (the GC).

So, I will inherit my DF's share as he died before his DM and DF.

Your DGP's will seems to be written a little differently, and so I don't know. I think it would be fair that you inherited your DF's share though, but that is just a moral opinion.

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