Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

An inheritance one

107 replies

Spicyspice · 17/11/2025 21:56

Did you/will you inherit from your grandparents? Or did everything go to your parents?

Was having a conversation with someone who feels hard done by, I’ll call him Tom. Toms grandparents have left Toms parents a big inheritance. Tom feels that his parents should have shared it with him as his parents are already wealthy.

It’s not really something I’d ever thought about as neither my parents or grandparents have any money/assets but does Tom have a point?

Tom - yanbu
Tom - yabu

OP posts:
BringBackCatsEyes · 18/11/2025 11:21

Garamousalata · 18/11/2025 10:42

In my family, inheritance goes to the children of the deceased, in equal amounts. It’s then up to them what they do with it and whether they give any to their children.

I'm curious what you mean by 'my family'. How wide are your talking? Has there been discussion among siblings of the same family that they will all write similar Wills?
I can't imagine having that sort of very personal discussion with my siblings.

Or am I just reading it the wrong way and that you mean your own parents divide equally among their children?

It sounds like you're talking about an established pattern.

Tiswa · 18/11/2025 11:17

It is a tricky one and one which I (as an only child) am currently trying to figure out with my parents.

DH has lost both parents and was fortunate enough to inherit half of a house in South London - inheritance which has paid off our mortgage and given us savings for the future.

and it is tricky because we all want the anything left (after care needs) to go to my two children for house buying (and DH agrees as well) they are both teenagers so it is potentially too much and I think we would prefer some checks as to what they do with it in place.

its deciding whether it is best just to leave it to me and work out how to give it to them (and any costs involved) or do trusts for them. We think overall probably the former as it is easiest!

which means even though they do want it to go to grandchildren it probably still will go to me to sort out

Garamousalata · 18/11/2025 10:42

In my family, inheritance goes to the children of the deceased, in equal amounts. It’s then up to them what they do with it and whether they give any to their children.

Tryingatleast · 18/11/2025 10:41

Politicians247UnderwearExtinguishingService

Wow!!

Politicians247UnderwearExtinguishingService · 18/11/2025 10:40

Tryingatleast · 18/11/2025 09:59

I’ve heard of gps leaving to gc but it was always as a middle finger up to their own children (heard a radio show the other day and THREE texters were asking about making sure grandchildren got covered if they were leaving out their children, two stated it it was because their children had gotten a lot over their lifetime, one was nc, the two radio people were saying maybe just give your children a token something) Seems mad to me to bypass your kids if you’re passing anything down, would understand if you’re not

Some deliberately do it to bypass any chance of a SIL/DIL (or ex SIL/DIL) getting their hands on any of it if the marriage breaks up.

Then again, there's nothing stopping their grandchildren eventually getting divorced acrimoniously and their ex-spouses getting the money.

noidea69 · 18/11/2025 10:27

I bet Tom is an only child.

I think the scenario you have described it entirely the norm, although think grandparents do sometimes that perhaps grand kids get £5k each out of the total estate.

Up to the parents if they decide to pass on any of the wealth to Tom.

nomas · 18/11/2025 10:24

Tom is an adult with parents, his grandparents don't have any moral financial obligations to him (except to treat Tom equally to other grand children).

Tom should manage his boundaries better and direct his parents to other tradesmen.

Is he the only child?

Smartiepants79 · 18/11/2025 10:20

I will inherit from my grandparents. And so will my children.
Majority will go to my parents but there a portion for all her close descendants.
Its obviously completely up to the person in question.

MNLurker1345 · 18/11/2025 10:13

I know a “Tom”and he is very angry that his 88 year mother is still alive and “spending all of his inheritance”. He is actually incensed. I hope she leaves it all to the DGC. “Tom” does not have children.

His DM did give him and sibling money when she sold her house, but he wants want he believes is his, now.

It is quite unpleasant to hear him going on about it. And more so when we see them both, because he actually says it to her in company.

We have tried to defuse the situation, which makes him more angry and so see him less.

There will always be entitled, greedy “Toms” in the world.

Mauvehoodie · 18/11/2025 10:09

I had a wealthy set of grandparents, they paid for my first car and a really good computer for university and were generally very generous as grandparents. When they died, us GC got £10K each. My Dad and his siblings got the rest BUT my grandparents would have trusted them to pass on as and when was needed to us which they have.

I'm cringing a bit for Tom going round saying he should have had access to their money but at the same time, if his parents are wealthy, irrespective of the inheritance, I think they should pass some to Tom for a house deposit or a couple of holidays. This is assuming Tom is quite hard up or needs money to get on the housing ladder for example. Of course the definition of wealthy is subjective and the level at which people are comfortable to give away some of their money is going to differ. For the purposes of this thread, I'm assuming say £1m savings/investment over and above a house and pension so they could easily give Tom £100K for a decent deposit.

Scottishskifun · 18/11/2025 10:09

I would say bit of both.

If his parents do not need the wealth and would make their (adult) child's life easier then I don't know why they wouldn't. I doubt the grandparent would want them suffering.

But I don't think it should be a given.

DH is in this scenario that GM estate left to her children. They have decided to split the estate between all GCs and themselves. I think if solely been his Uncle then it would have skipped straight to GCs but MIL wasn't happy. MIL also very much about appearance so is splitting through gritted teeth.

Karatema · 18/11/2025 10:06

Most of my money (not a huge amount, doubt there will be inheritance tax) goes to my DH but we both have a small amount going to the DGC. Once we both leave this planet it goes to the DC.
My aunt caused uproar. She had no DC so left her money to my DF, her remaining sibling, and several animal charities.
My cousins feel very hard done by because their DP had pre deceased her so nothing of hers will trickle down to them.
My DM pointed out that she hadn’t seen them visiting her when she was alone at home and later when she went into a home. I adored my aunt, we were very alike, and she loved me but I would have been very surprised if she’d left me a penny.
I’ve told my parents to spend their money and they are taking me at my word! 😂

Catpiece · 18/11/2025 10:03

My remaining parent left his house to my sister and me. We chose to share our good fortune with our children.

Libellousness · 18/11/2025 10:03

I will likely inherit around half a million from my parents in my mid sixties. DH and I are mortgage free, with more than enough in pensions and savings to live more than comfortably for the rest of our lives. I plan to pass my inheritance straight onto my two children, for whom the money will be transformative - we’ve helped them both onto the housing ladder already but this will allow them to become mortgage free by their mid-30s. I would think less of any parents in the same position as us who wouldn’t do this, to be honest.

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 18/11/2025 09:59

Tom's an entitled brat. Tell him he'll get it all when his parents are dead.

Tryingatleast · 18/11/2025 09:59

I’ve heard of gps leaving to gc but it was always as a middle finger up to their own children (heard a radio show the other day and THREE texters were asking about making sure grandchildren got covered if they were leaving out their children, two stated it it was because their children had gotten a lot over their lifetime, one was nc, the two radio people were saying maybe just give your children a token something) Seems mad to me to bypass your kids if you’re passing anything down, would understand if you’re not

Ihavepaidalotforthisstory · 18/11/2025 09:57

I can understand Tom's point of view however it's not his money and not his choice to make.

Politicians247UnderwearExtinguishingService · 18/11/2025 09:54

We had a situation whereby an elderly family member (widower) decided to leave his money as follows:

Son A (married with 2 children) - 1/9 each to son, son's wife and each child
Son B (bachelor, no children) - 1/9 to him
Son C (married with 2 children) - 1/9 each to son, son's wife and each child

Son A was more than happy with this, but was concerned about Son B losing out on his share just for being unmarried and having no kids.

Son B was perfectly happy with this - a very generous, unselfish man, and he may even have suggested this split - although it obviously reduced his equal share by two thirds.

Son C was bitterly annoyed and insisted that it should instead have been split three ways between the sons - not because he didn't want Son B to lose out, but because that would mean that he would have got more for himself, even though the total amount shared between his own immediate family would thus have been less!

McSpoot · 18/11/2025 09:53

Politicians247UnderwearExtinguishingService · 18/11/2025 01:06

Sorry, that wasn't meant to come across as any kind of criticism of you personally.

I think your solution is the fairest that you could hope to achieve. It's not like you're skipping a generation, as would be the case with a GP leaving straight to their GC, as the 'missing link' - your siblings - are obviously the same generation and (naturally-speaking, notwithstanding serious illness or accidents) likely to die within a few years before or after you anyway.

Also, aunties and uncles do often legitimately form a closer relationship with certain of their nieces/nephews than with others - so I don't think there's necessarily the expectation of perfect 'fairness' as there would be with grandparents and grandchildren, with the direct downwards (non-sideways) descent.

Oh, I didn't take it as personal criticism. It really was an "I get that and it's a risk, but what's the option?".

I take your point that I'm leaving the money to the generation right below me (it still feels like skipping a generation (my brother), but he's my generation), so less likely to be an issue of more kids after my death. I suppose a possible question of fairness as I refer to my cousin's children as my niece and nephews too and am quite close to them, but am only leaving to my brother's kids. But, really, no one has expectations or pressures (as I said above, if anything, my brother is clear that I shouldn't be worrying about leaving his kids anything.

And, I realise that I am lucky (as is my family) that no one needs my money. The aforementioned cousin earns 7 figures a year (not discussed but based on her job) Her kids don't need my money.

Thinking about it, my grandparents did skip a generation. But that was because my grandfather died just before my mother (and my mom was in palliative care at that point and was clearly going to die soon) and my grandmother had already died. The will was written that the estate would be split between their children and, if any child predeceased him, it went to that child's children. Technically, my mom didn't predecease him, but it still went to us (I honestly don't know if he rewrote his will or it was just an agreement and my dad went with it - we aren't in the UK and I honestly don't know what the rules for doing so are).

DeepfriedPizza · 18/11/2025 09:53

My Grandmother's house was in her kids name with the intention for it to be sold and the proceeds shared between the grandkids. My Dad kept his share which was his legal right.

My Dad is leaving his house to his grandkids so me and my siblings won't get anything, I don't care though.

Nourishinghandcream · 18/11/2025 09:48

Both sets of my GP left everything to their children (my parents) but my parents then gave gifts to us children.
When my parents died, the majority of the estate went to us children however a smaller proportion was left to GC.

frozendaisy · 18/11/2025 09:44

I know a family who have x3 grown up children, they each have 3, 2, 1 children respectively.

The grandparents want to split the inheritance with the children 6 ways

But of course one said (the one with one child) that is should be split in thirds, meaning of course their child would get double/triple to themselves.

Honestly you can't win with inheritance. No matter what you try and do.

(We inherited from my parents and have effectively parked it until the teens need it for property purchase, or if they aren't going to buy somewhere putting into a pension or something). That is our choice, we have decided we are fine, our children will need it more. But we are a simpler family, on both sides there is just our children, so no conflict of interest or splitting either or each way, straight forward to us-to them.

AngelicKaty · 18/11/2025 09:42

MorrisZapp · 18/11/2025 09:08

It's not remotely greedy to expect a likely thing to happen. I mean there's no evidence that Tom stormed into his parents house and demanded his rightful share? All he did is tell his friend that his rich parents didn't give him a bung when they became richer. Why should any sentient adult have to pretend to be surprised by a lovely inheritance? If its your own parents or gps, it's literally an expectation.

Where did I say "Tom stormed into his parents house and demanded his rightful share"? If you have to invent things you've lost the argument.
And you're clearly as entitled as Tom.

2chocolateoranges · 18/11/2025 09:41

MY gran split her will equally between her children and her grandchildren. We a
l got the same amount .

HollyhockDays · 18/11/2025 09:40

My granny (dad’s side) left everything to her kids. Paid off their mortgage.

My mums side - her stepmum was the same age as her (!!) and is still alive. I assume she will leave the house to my mums step brothers.

Tom is being a dick.