Do 'blood relatives' Trump all when it comes to wills?

YANBU

But… if you can buy a place still within your lovely community, I would do so.

It will save you rent, which may enable you to save, and usually leaves you much better off in retirement, and the property can be sold should you need to go into residential care.

And actually it is only a minority of people who go into care homes. Only 16% of over 85yos are in care homes.

You should put whoever you want in your will it doesn't have to be a blood relative at all.

It looks like op got the inheritance not just because she was blood but because she was a decent person as other relatives didn't receive anything. Also to your last point, her family isn't looking after her so why should she look after them?

Op spend it to make your life as comfortable, fulfilling and healthy now.

Then whatever is left can go to looking after the things that enrich your life now ie your animals and community.

Family might contest the will, you should leave a letter with the will to say you are specifically not leaving anything to them and possibly why. So they can't say it was just an over sight that they were not in your will. A solicitor would tell you how to best do that, it might be an attachment to the will and might need witnessing with the will.

I couldn’t not leave it to blood relations. I’m hoping that all of my children will still talk to me near the time but even if they didn’t.
They didn’t ask to be brought into the world so I feel as though I should cushion them a little bit no matter what
That’s unconditional love. And and how family should be.
How would you feel if the community pissed it all up the wall because they’re very good at that?

Blood relatives 100%. For me it’s not really about whether you like them, it’s about passing what you received down through the family. You got it because you were family, after all. This is particularly important when a family asset (eg property) has been sold. Doesn’t seem right to just fritter it away. Family should look after each other.

Charity and community all the way - if more people did this we’d have a far more equitable society 🥰. And a plaque to remember us by 😜

A friend of mine was recently executor to the will of a childless friend.
With the exception of a couple of (small) bequests, all money was left to charities with siblings, nephews, nieces etc left nothing as they had ignored their relative for many years.
The charities received very significant sums.

It is your will, you can do with your estate as you see fit.

Totally your choice but I’d always go for blood relatives. Personal values but my siblings and I benefit from family help and feel the need to pass it on.

It can also be a mix, not 0 or 1.

Im in the minority here!

Blood relatives all the way. Loyalty to those that came before maybe.

Just because you dont stay in contact with all aunts/ uncles etc doesn't mean there isn't that family bond there, or that they're bad people.

My aunts and uncles have never made an effort to stay in contact with me or my siblings as we got older. Doesn't make them bad people either.

I wouldn’t leave money to anyone who wasn’t an active person in my life and who I actually liked. If I were you I’d spend the money on myself. Live where you want to live, go on the holidays you want to go on.

I’d leave it to either people I actually liked and had regular contact with,or a local community group.
just because so,some is a blood relative if doesn’t mean you need to leave them your money.

But you say you don’t like them so why are you bothered if they keep in touch? I had an Aunt who clearly didn’t like me so I obviously didn’t bother my backside to see her once my parents stopped forcing it on me.

I have loads of cousins, nieces and nephews and other ‘blood’ relatives, hardly see any of them and wouldn’t expect a penny from any of them either.

Spend it. Then leave it to whichever community group you like

I think community sounds lovely. I’d consider whether it’s something you feel you could start up before you die and then leave a legacy too an established community interest group. Locally we have lots of lovely things thst have been funded by folk. There’s a community orchard which is volunteer run and anyone can come and pick apples, pears, plums and berries. A growing project where you sign up for a small fee and give your time in exchange for veg. Community gardens, picnic tables, benches. I think it adds a lot to local community.

This, absolutely this....

Get a solicitor to draw one up for you and relax. Blood doesn't trump a watertight Will.

I’d leave the money to whomever I wanted. However, I would definitely not continue to rent and leave the money in an account for a care home. The care home might never be needed. Use that money to live a comfortable and good life now. If you buy a property it can later be sold for the care home.

Dry true, @nomas . In MiL’s case the second aunt disapproved of her for various somewhat judgemental reasons. Partly for being poor, ironically.

Presumably your MIL was close to her aunt?

None of OP’s siblings children bother with her, so she can easily bypass them and give to her community.

Personally if I didn’t have DC to leave it to I’d buy a house, rent it out and go on loads of interesting holidays and if my rented house ever fell through like the one you currently love then you have somewhere to move into at least.

Even if I were to fall out with my DC I’d still split my assets between them.

Ethically, there is something to be said for money gained from family to be passed to family. If grandparents leave money to dc, they generally anticipate it will benefit their gdc as well.

It’s a bit different with siblings though. How did the sib get the money they have left to you, and did they leave equal shares to the sib with dc? If so, that’s the money your niblings would have some reasonable expectation for.

I feel for dc who have been bypassed by family inheritance for whatever reason. My MiL is still upset that her aunty’s money was left to a sibling who then left it to a friend. Mil had been told it would come to her.

That said, cinnamon trust sounds like a charity you’d like to support, and giving to the community supports all dc, not just those with wealthy relatives.

It's entirely up to you.

I think you should spend it how you want. It be better if you spent it on yourself though.

Ah, you must be my long lost aunt inbetweenie 👋 😀

Spend it, spend it all and what you don't spend, leave it to the community you love and that loved you