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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To tell my elderly father that I do have objections to him marrying his partner he met 6 months after my mother died?

483 replies

Perimomof2 · 29/11/2025 19:02

My mother died 5 years ago quite suddenly after a short illness. My dad was devastated, they’d been together 50+ years. But later the same year he announced that he’d met someone, similar age and also widowed. They have been together ever since, not exactly living together but they live close by so pretty much do everything as a couple.
My sibling and I didn’t object, he was happy enough and had been clear from the start that he wouldn’t be moving in with her or vice versa and had no intention of marrying again. We don’t particularly like her (my DF has no idea, we include her in pretty much everything) but that’s our problem, not theirs.

Fast forward 5 years, he asked me out of the blue if I had any objection to them marrying. I said I did. That it was something he said wouldn’t happen, and that if I gave them my blessing it would feel disrespectful to my DM’s memory.

Was I wrong to say this? I’m concerned that if he marries his wife will have POA around health and finances and that his estate (house and savings which were accumulated jointly with my DM) will not pass solely to his two children but to his wife who his has known for a relatively short time and will subsequently be split with her children. For context, his estate is likely to be considerably larger than hers.

OP posts:
YourLoyalPlumOP · 29/11/2025 21:42

My father and mum broke up years ago and he promised to her that if she went with nothing he’d leave it all ti me

he got remarried and died recently and according to my stepmother he died without a single penny

not even ine

he sold two house worth a good million. Where’s that gone?

you’re right to be worried. I left it when my father told me I was on his will. He’s now dead and I can’t speak to him about it. I’m not worried that I’m not getting any money. I’m worried how on earth he spent it? There is no way he spent that within a few years.

I don’t care I don’t get anything. I’m taking her to court over it. Because I’m worried she made him lose it

morebutterthantoast · 29/11/2025 21:41

Nothing wrong with having concern around finances OP, your mother intended for you to benefit in the fullness of time and that should be honoured.
My father specifically took legal advice on remarriage when writing his will: that his wife will receive a fair amount if he predeceases her, but he does not want her children or random members of her family benefitting over his own descendants.

Persephoneofhell · 29/11/2025 21:35

100% I would be the same.
Lovely he has a relationship. Carry on but absolutely no to marriage at that point in life. Honestly what is the benefit?
You do stand to loose inheritance and it has happened in my family TWICE.
If he insists ensure everything in placed in trust for you and she can only stay in house/ live off interest until her death.
Get legal advice. But try as hard as you can to stop him marrying her.
Be kind to him , men do rend to do this sadly.

Perimomof2 · 29/11/2025 21:35

Thank you for the comments and advice, lots to consider.

OP posts:
covilha · 29/11/2025 21:32

Voted yabu as think no one should try to limit another’s happiness. The comments about the estate makes it seem as though financial considerations are also a factor when considering his future happiness.
i am sure neither of your parents would want that
I am sorry you lost your mother, you must miss her unbearably, as does your Dad. FWIW he has shown respect to your mother by waiting so long and to you seeking your blessing
and if he becomes frail will you look after him or move him into a care home, which would certainly eat up the entirety of his estate

Andromed1 · 29/11/2025 21:31

There seem to be quite a few different things getting muddled up here OP and it could be helpful to separate them out.

Your mother's memory - you can't really know how your mum would have felt about your dad meeting someone else or about him getting married. She might have been glad for him. You can only say that you would be upset to see her 'replaced' in this particular way, but even that might make your dad so sad that you'd wish it unsaid.
Health/end of life decisions - it's sensible for him to have a younger person with LPA instead of or as well as his partner/wife. He needs to make an informed decision about that and set it up while he is well enough to do so. You would be an obvious choice, perhaps working alongside his partner and taking over if she becomes unable to do it. You can encourage your dad to set this up asap because everyone should be prepared.
Inheritance - it is his decision what he puts in his will, but you can advise him to talk through all the implications with a solicitor. Getting married need not mean disinheriting you, and he may want some of his estate to go to you and some to his partner, and/or he may want her to have a life interest in the house, depending what assets she has of her own. The main thing is that he thinks about it and makes a will that he is at peace with. None of the people in it need to know what it contains.

I do sympathise with your feelings. My dad met a new woman very soon after my mum's death and it was terribly upsetting for me and my siblings, especially visiting the home where we grew up and seeing his new partner's belongings piled up on the bedside table next to the side of the bed where Mum had been sleeping until the previous month. It hurts. But the bereaved parent continues to have a life.

janiejonstone · 29/11/2025 21:25

I'm really sorry for your loss. My mum died when I was 18 and my dad remarried five years later, it felt incredibly fast so I do understand. But it isn't fast at all, really. He's known her for far longer than lots of couples have who marry; you say it was "out of the blue" and I totally understand why it feels like that but it's not at all. My brother and I made it pretty hard for my dad and stepmother when they got together and I hugely regret it - they are very happy together, a great team and she's added so much to his (and our) lives. I'd also add that even from a completely selfish point of view, as my dad gets older I am hugely glad and relieved that she is there with him, and that his care won't fall entirely on me and my siblings.

Nettleskeins · 29/11/2025 21:25

This happened to a friend and the father arranged a "life trust" in the will so his widow could live in the house as long as she lived but the house reverted to the children of the original marriage on the new wife's death.

The point really is that half the estate the father inherited was originally the dead mother's so you could argue it was perfectly fair that her children should at least inherit some of the estate when HE died.

The new wife could make the same arrangements for her descendants...after all she could go first and the situation might be reversed with HER children losing out.

Akela64 · 29/11/2025 21:24

Some posters are saying that if your DF currently has a will your inheritance will be protected. If you're in the UK that is not true.

It's important that you have an honest, respectful conversation before he married.

To tell my elderly father that I do have objections to him marrying his partner he met 6 months after my mother died?
CheezePleeze · 29/11/2025 21:23

If it's all about his health and not about the money, he can grant you POA over his health anyway.

So ask him to do that.

Poppyseeds79 · 29/11/2025 21:21

My parent had a pre paid funeral plan with their wishes set out so that was already sorted. Realistically if your Dad married her then as his wife she should definitely get some say in his healthcare treatment if it comes to it though. I don't think it would be sensible to have decisions made by someone who isn't then living with him.

If for example you (and I'm not saying you would), were reluctant for him to go into a care home if needed, because you didn't want it to suck up his savings. Then that wouldn't be fair either.... Essentially if he's of sound mind then he can make his own financial/marriage/health choices. And I say this a someone whose parent very recently passed away and it turned out their will was completely different to one they had a few years ago.

Perimomof2 · 29/11/2025 21:20

Raggededges · 29/11/2025 21:15

My parents have been married 50 odd years. I can't imagine either of them with anyone else, that must be hard OP, but I suppose you wouldn't want to see them sad and alone either.
I'd also be concerned about my inheritance to be fair. I doubt your mum would have wanted someone else and their DC getting the benefit of her hard work.

Exactly this. Thank you.

OP posts:
Rhubarb24 · 29/11/2025 21:19

You're not being unreasonable. Some people are incredibly naive. It would gall me too. Luckily, my dad has promised never to marry his girlfriend and rewrote his will after she moved in. Her kids have already received their inheritance from her as she sold her house years ago and was living with one of them. My dad's dad died before his stepmum and her sons inherited his dad's money and he has never got over it. She has a right to live there if he was to pass first, and will get a 5 figure lump sum, but not the house.

My mum didn't die, but when she left him she didn't take what she was entitled to because he would have had to have sold it, and he loves his house. She trusted that he would leave the house to me and my sister just as your mum trusted your dad. That's what would gall me the most.

My main concern was though that if he marries her and something goes wrong, HE risks losing his house, his pride and joy, and will get nothing from her as she's already got rid of it.

Hope it all works out!

Happyjoe · 29/11/2025 21:17

My own dad got together with a woman on his street 3 months after mum died. I actually think it was sooner, but that's when he told me about her outright, rather than mention her in passing. Then he got engaged a couple months later. Thing is, my dad would've been husband number 4, had dad lived long enough to actually get married. A friend of dads asked him to slow down, he'd who'd known the lady for years and told us that as soon as the other husbands died, she ignored the wishes of money to be shared with husbands children and she kept everything. The 3rd husband she didn't even tell the husbands children when or where the funeral was because they didn't get on. I did see some evidence of this when I went through dads paperwork dealing with his estate.

The thought of mum's wishes of the house being split equally between her four children not happening made me sad, the thought of the new one being in control of his funeral etc was hard but the thought of it all going to, well, a lady who preyed on my dad when vulnerable smarted a lot. I would have rather it all went to charity.

Careful OP. Your dad would have to change quite a lot to ensure his wishes are carried out. Just a will I don't think does much good - it all goes to the surviving spouse as far as I can tell.

Perimomof2 · 29/11/2025 21:15

Blinkingbother · 29/11/2025 20:28

Ok - been here! If you choose to talk to your Dad you need to verbalise this very carefully. I would focus on health/poa decisions as your concerns. Also, what situation is the fiance coming from? Does she have children? Will they have mutual concerns? (This could make your conversation more altruistic/genuine)… Assumjng they are compus mentis you will have to live with what they decide but you can (very gently) raise your worries and see what reaction you get…

Thanks, some good advice here. His partner does have children.

And I agree, I will of course respect his decision whether I like it or not. My relationship with him is too important to jeopardise.

OP posts:
Raggededges · 29/11/2025 21:15

My parents have been married 50 odd years. I can't imagine either of them with anyone else, that must be hard OP, but I suppose you wouldn't want to see them sad and alone either.
I'd also be concerned about my inheritance to be fair. I doubt your mum would have wanted someone else and their DC getting the benefit of her hard work.

estrogone · 29/11/2025 21:14

CinnamonJellyBeans · 29/11/2025 21:04

I think you are perfectly entitled to expect at least half of the marital assets from the first marriage.

Your dad should make a new will, as soon as he gets married to ensure his wife of 50 years doesn't have the proceeds of her life's work disregarded and given to a bunch of strangers.

But how far do we take this approach? Are we saying that after the death of a spouse all surviving spouses should freeze the assets of their partner and put them in trust?

This is a perfectly logical solution and could be stated in the will. In the absence of that direction the surviving spouse gets everything and there is no unspoken or legal expectation that the assets are theirs and theirs alone to keep, sell or squander.

The issue at hand is autonomy, Ops father has every right to do with his estate as he wishes.

usedtobeaylis · 29/11/2025 21:13

What would be the problem with his new wife making decisions relating to his health ?

Allthings · 29/11/2025 21:13

So many people saying you are grabby, but any inheritance has to go somewhere and most of us would want a fair share to go to our children and not to a random unrelated stranger when a second spouse dies.

I hope he is aware of the legal implication of marriage, making a new will etc and does the right thing and not place trust for his wife to do the right thing if he does marry and predeceases her.

Linda Bellingham!

OSTMusTisNT · 29/11/2025 21:12

I know I would be devastated if I thought my DS wouldn't get to inherit my wealth (and that which has been handed down through my family for several generations) if my DH chose to remarry if I died.

I don't think you are a bad person to question inheritance and ask your Dad to speak to a solicitor to protect his wealth for you and your siblings. The same goes for his partner otherwise everything of hers could end up coming your way one day rather than keeping to her side of the family.

Remember though if he has a will now, that will be invalid the minute he remarries.

Seaforme · 29/11/2025 21:08

Haven’t read the full thread.

I'm in a similar position, however my Mum knew my Dad's new partner and would be horrified to think that our inheritance (which won’t be a huge amount) could go to her and her kids instead of my brother and me.

It’s not really about the money, it’s more about my Mum’s money going to someone else. I really don’t think you are being ‘grabby’.

PersephoneParlormaid · 29/11/2025 21:07

As someone who lost out in just this way, I sympathise. He needs a rock solid will that leaves at least your mum’s half to you, in fact as he could end up in care , it’s best he gives it now and sorts out a home with his new wife.

BrickBiscuit · 29/11/2025 21:06

Perimomof2 · 29/11/2025 20:55

What a sad situation for your friend. Stories like this are what make me worry about my DF’s situation.

His partner owns her house and is relatively well off so is not a gold digger as such but if I were to not be involved in decisions around my DF’s health and wealth I would be devastated. I have known and loved him dearly my entire life, she has known him for a fraction of that time.

You don't have powers of attorney for health and finance set up already? This is one of the reasons it's a good idea for people to put them in place before any concerns arise. I hope you can progress the situation amicably. Professional advice will be essential to get his will right.
[edit: not rtft, but you seem to have put two questions. 1, your mum's memory and the new marriage - if they want to be together and marriage is for them, nothing should stand in their way. 2, the financial and health advocacy implications - yes, absolutely get professional advice and ensure his wishes are protected (hopefully they will align with the side of fairness)

CinnamonJellyBeans · 29/11/2025 21:04

I think you are perfectly entitled to expect at least half of the marital assets from the first marriage.

Your dad should make a new will, as soon as he gets married to ensure his wife of 50 years doesn't have the proceeds of her life's work disregarded and given to a bunch of strangers.

Kimura · 29/11/2025 21:03

Extremely unreasonable of you to say you object to him getting married. It must have an enormous thing for him to bring this to you, and he'll always remember your first response. Who are you to deny the man happiness in the final years of his life? Your mum would have wanted him to be happy, surely?

If you have concerns over POA for his health, you could have raised that at an appropriate time. As for your inheritance, he may well now want some/all of it to pass to his new wife should he die, to provide for any care she may need. Unless you think she is exerting influence on him to make financial decisions he's not 100% happy with, it's not really any of your business.

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