To think this inheritance split is not fair?

[Big8]

Ok, firstly I know I should be grateful to be getting anything from my grandparents. And I am. But I'm just wondering what the general consensus is on this...

Grandparents have 2 offspring.

Have set aside £x for grandchildren.

There are five grandchildren.

My father has 4. His sister has 1.

Now rather than the £x being split into 5 equal portions for us all

Half of £x goes to Aunts child.
Half goes to my dad's children to be divided between 4.

So say it's £1000

Cousin gets £500.

We get £125 each.

What do you think of that?

I agree it doesn't seem fair.

The money has been set aside for the grandchildren. Presumably because other funds are going to the children? Therefore it should be split equally.

It might be though that it's been split by child and then your dad and aunt have to divvy it up. In which case it might smart but that's the wishes of your grandparents.

Did your grandparent say how the money was to be split?
My nan gave each of her grandchildren £1000 and great grandchildren £500 in her will. Everything else was to be split equally between my dad and his brother. It was a very fair way I think and she always said that everything must be split fairly.

Either way is fair and is up to whoever the money belongs to

I think she divided it basing it on her own children rather than the gc iyswim. She has 2 children, 2 equally divided pot of money, unfortunately on your side there are 4 people dividing 1 share.

Presumeably, your father and your aunt is fine with having no inheritance and instead, as they see it, their portion going directly to the next generation.

All I can say is, if it was left to your father and your aunt directly, there is no guarantee that it would be passed on for the next generation to benefit at all so I would say that the grandchildren are getting a good deal!

I think you would have understood your GP's thought process more if you were an only child and your aunt had 4 dc

Its obviously been split by your GP's dc, not that unusual. Can sometimes seem unfair (I am one of 5 dc!!!) but considering it hurtful is disrespectful to your GP's.

They are splitting between their kids 50/50. Seems fair enough to me.

Was it stipulated by the deceased how the money should be divided?

If it wasn't, I would assume it was intended to be split equally otherwise it would make no sense. Unfortunately it's probably going to cost you more to contest how it has been split.

Who is the executor?

Always a thorny conundrum.

My Mums mum split her will between the daughter's 3/5 and 2/5 as one had 3 DC the other 2DC. My mum had the 2 and never really forgave her.

My Mum did a 50/50 slit with me and my sis. I have 3 DC sis has 2..... It's fair... ish

Then we come to DH parents.... still thankfully alive. They have 2 DS. One has no kids and is very well off indeed. Then there is us with 3 kids accruing uni loans etc ...

I guess the lesson to learn is , always have the same amount of children as your siblings!

When my grandmother died, I have no idea what my cousins 'got' in the will. . I just took what I was bequeathed. Is that weird?

I do see what you're saying but all resources get spread more thinly the more children you have - money, gifts, attention etc. So it's part of your dad's decision to have four children - but there are upsides of that that your only child cousin won't get too. C'est la vie.

I think your grandparents have been fair. Unless they had separate funds to leave to the grandchildren when it should be equal amounts, they have divided the estate equally between their two children rather than playing favourites. If they'd divided it as your op suggests, your dad would have received 4/5 of the estate just because he has more children. That is quite a fuck you to your aunt.

I think it makes more sense to allocate an amount per grandchild rather than going through the children. My grandparents split the cash element of their estate directly between the grandchildren for the very reason you have outlined - my mum has 2 children and her brother has one.
Of course, it is entirely up to your grandparents how they want to split the estate and not appropriate imo to challenge or question their decision.

I have something similar going on so I know how you feel.

My dad only has me, his partner had 2 children. she died in 2011, in her will her half of the house went to her children, and all money went to them.

Now my dad has made a will, the sale of the house is to be split between the 3 of us. all money is also to be split. Its like a massive slap in the face that I wasnt allowed to be part of her will, but the 2 of them don't even bother with my dad anymore, havent visited him in over 2 years whereas I go every other day with ds. I know I cant change his mind for him, i'm hoping in time he will realise why I get upset and change it. I know for a fact and other family have also said that if it happened my dad would have died first, his ex partner would have changed her will so it would all have been left to her daughters and id have got nothing.

I've read the OP as being that this 'grandchildren fund' is completely separate, i.e. Not being passed via the op's dad and aunt but complexly separate to their Inheritance.

I don't think it's one grandchild being favoured. It's more that they have split the amount equally between their two children i.e. £500 each, and then amount is split between the children of those children i.e. the grandchildren. So that same amount goes to each side of the family. The fact that one child has 4 offspring and the other only has one is not your grandparents problem. If the grandchild you think is being "favoured" had siblings, you'd all be getting even less.

Its how it is done legally if there is no will. So if your father and aunt both predeceased your grandparent it would be a 50/50 split between their estates, so your fathers would be split 4 ways your Aunts 2. I am an only child so if it happened that either of my grandmothers estate was split (missing out my uncle and mum or my dad and my aunt) I would get 50% my cousins (I have 2 on each side) would get 25%.

Its not favourtism its a fair split between two sides of her family.

OP - I agree it is strange. If I was leaving money to grandchildren I would split it evenly so they all received the same.

My elderly mother is looking at her will. At the moment it goes 50/50 to my sister and me.
We want it all to go directly to the GC.
This means my two will get my 50% between them and DN will get my sister's 50%. So 25% - 25% - 50%
It's the only fair way.

It's a perfectly valid way of doing things and one that presumeably your father and aunt agreed with at the time the will was drawn up.

I think the GPs have complicated things if it has been explicitly stated that the inheritance is to go directly to the GCs but the split is being applied as if directly to their own children. My DB has 3 children, I have 2 and I think my DM would like her estate to be used for their direct benefit. However, I'd be amazed if she has made a will so I think this means it will default to a 50:50 split between my DB & I. If this is what happens I'll discuss rebalancing with my DB at the time (but only if the plan is to put any inheritance in trust for the kids).

I am getting more than my brothers. I have no kids they do.
My mum doesn't see why my share should be reduced.
I'm not actually bothered and keep encouraging my parents to spend it all plan on leaving my own inheritance to my nieces and nephews anyway.

I know what you're saying, but I guess it's just one of those things. My MIL has decided to split her money four ways (she has three adult children) with the fourth portion being equally divided by the number of grandchildren (there are 8 altogether). That seems like a fair way to me.

It's fair, your gp has split it fairly between their children. It's not their issue how many kids they each went on to have.

if it was £500k and £125k it would be different, but as it is, sorry it's not a big deal.