Page 11 | How can I divide my estate fairly between daughters and grandchildren?

BunchTulip · 04/07/2026 19:24

I would also split the bulk of the estate equally between your three daughters. Anything other than that is quite divisive and could cause long lasting damage to relationships and hurt, however well meaning. Maybe a smaller amount to the GC first, possibly up to a fourth split between them as suggested previously but no more than that.

SB2527 · 04/07/2026 19:22

Split equally between your three children. Let them decide what, when and how to pass on to their own children.
A token amount maybe to the grandkids if you want.

Nothavingagoodvalentinesday · 04/07/2026 19:11

PermanentTemporary · 03/07/2026 22:21

I would probably ask a lawyer to set up three family trusts for each daughter and any children they have. I’m not a lawyer though so I might not be aware of downsides.

Avoid trusts if you can. They cause all manner of problems and aren’t necessary now all the GC are of age.

Nothavingagoodvalentinesday · 04/07/2026 19:08

JLou08 · 04/07/2026 18:46

Splitting it equally between 10 is the fairest and simplest way to do things.

That isn’t any way fair.

Nothavingagoodvalentinesday · 04/07/2026 19:07

wishfulthinking93 · 04/07/2026 18:48

I think it’d be incredibly hurtful to exclude two daughters from your will and would create some resentment between the sisters. Don’t punish your children who have created their own successes. Split it in 4 - 1/4 for each of your sisters and then a 1/4 to equally split between all grandchildren.

That isn’t fair, either. More money will go to the family that has the four children.

TwinklySquid · 04/07/2026 19:06

If everyone had GC id say it was fair to divide with them. But as they don’t, I’d just divide by children.

Nothavingagoodvalentinesday · 04/07/2026 19:06

Divide it into three. Give your unmarried daughter one third outright. Allocate the other two thirds to your married daughters. Ask them if they would prefer you to leave their portion to their children. If dd with four children says yes, divide her portion into four. If Dd with 3 children says no, leave her her third outright. There is no other fair way of doing it. If you divide it equally between your grandchildren, one daughter will get nothing, and the one with four children will effectively get more than her sisters.
We have decided to keep it simple and divide our estate equally amongst our three children. We’ll trust them to sort out their own children’s inheritance when the time comes.

Jellybean23 · 04/07/2026 19:00

Leave it equally to your daughters.

wishfulthinking93 · 04/07/2026 18:48

I think it’d be incredibly hurtful to exclude two daughters from your will and would create some resentment between the sisters. Don’t punish your children who have created their own successes. Split it in 4 - 1/4 for each of your sisters and then a 1/4 to equally split between all grandchildren.

JLou08 · 04/07/2026 18:46

Splitting it equally between 10 is the fairest and simplest way to do things.

LOCOJDS · 04/07/2026 18:39

PurpleLovecats · 03/07/2026 22:17

I would divide it in 4. A third to each dd and a third shared between the grandchildren.

this definitely

Horses7 · 04/07/2026 18:37

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 03/07/2026 22:17

You need to leave money to all three daughters equally and they can pass onto their own children as they wish. Imagine if you died tomorrow and then the children daughter have five babies later.
this is the only fair way

This - leave it to daughters 3 way split and they can decide what to do with it.

Laura95167 · 04/07/2026 18:26

Id leave £x to each DGC and split the rest between my DDs 1/3 each.

Assuming you love and see them all I dont know why their current circs would change what youd leave them unless you needed to provide for 1 for a disability reason or something

Crazybigtoe · 04/07/2026 18:25

Ilikesundays · 03/07/2026 23:03

I think I was influenced by my own mother who set up trust funds for each of her great-grandchildren (my grandchildren) and left nothing to my children. I was an only child so inherited the residue of her estate when she died. But I quite agree it’s unfair to distinguish between the generations. I will try and give them all as much as I can afford while I’m still alive and leave what’s left as you suggest!

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Your grandchildren have already received family money in trust from your mother. This would have benefited your daughters with children.

I would split it into thirds.

Whyarentmysquashesthriving · 04/07/2026 18:21

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 03/07/2026 22:17

You need to leave money to all three daughters equally and they can pass onto their own children as they wish. Imagine if you died tomorrow and then the children daughter have five babies later.
this is the only fair way

Agreed. Split between the three children.

HardyCrow · 04/07/2026 18:16

PurpleLovecats · 03/07/2026 22:17

I would divide it in 4. A third to each dd and a third shared between the grandchildren.

Yes this is the fairest

junebirthdaygirl · 04/07/2026 18:09

Is dividing between 3 children putting them over the taxable limit. In lreland it's 400,000..so leave your own dds that much and let the rest be divided between the gc. We are leaving our gc 10,000 each and the rest to be divided between our 3 children. But we are giving our children equal deposits for houses now as we are a bit younger than you. There is no unfairness if your own children get equal amounts.

NowWhatUsernameShallIHave · 04/07/2026 18:02

I would just divide to daughters so each family get equal.
they then can decide between themselves.

The DDs although have children, they are also on a joint income and may also get inheritance from the husbands side.

The only right thing to do is divide between your children in my opinion.

Duvetdayneeded · 04/07/2026 17:55

Why not a set amount per grandchild alive at time of death and the rest split equally by daughters?

Superstar22 · 04/07/2026 17:43

My parents have left their 3 daughters 25% each, and their 4 GC 25% between them. Two daughters have 2 children each & the other is not having any/ doesn’t have any. Everyone thinks this is a great split- daughters get a decent split (75% split) and the 3rd daughter sees the kids getting 7% each so seems fair and proportional (even though parents LIVE for the GCs and love them the most!)

DuckyDuckDucky · 04/07/2026 11:52

Leave equally to each of your daughters. The children then inherit from their parents.

EvieBB · 04/07/2026 11:36

Ilikesundays · 03/07/2026 22:15

Would really appreciate your views! I’m in my 80s and have three dds and 7 gcs. All are over 20. Two dds are married: one has 3 DCs and one has 4. Youngest dd is unmarried and has no children. I want to make my will and be fair to all of them. I was thinking of leaving all my property (f/h house, no mortgage in London + fairly substantial savings) to the gcs + the unmarried dd and nothing to the two married DDs. But on reflection this seems very harsh and unfair to them . How would you manage it? They are all working, bar two gcs who are still studying p/g.

I think the fairest way is to divide between your 3 children equally.....and they can pass down to their children later

Purplecatshopaholic · 04/07/2026 11:20

You divide it equally between your children. Your daughters can then leave their own assets to their own children. Anything else is frankly a recipe for resentment going forward.

wherearethesnacks · 04/07/2026 11:20

Please don't skip a generation by leaving out your daughters. It would be awful for you to cause resentment by giving their share to their own children instead. The grandchildren will inherit from their parents in time.

Loulou4022 · 04/07/2026 11:05

PurpleLovecats · 03/07/2026 22:17

I would divide it in 4. A third to each dd and a third shared between the grandchildren.

Something like this seems most fair so DD’s each get a larger chunk and then a smaller amount is given to each grandchild.