Another inheritance one.

[Catlady1976]

MN jury what do you think?
4 siblings 2 with kids. 2 without.
One of the siblings with no kids passed away and has left his estate to his niece and nephew.
Everyone involved is OK with this but I can't help feeling it's a little unfair.
I know I would feel uncomfortable if any of my siblings left their estate to their nieces and nephews as I would feel bad for my siblings with no DC.
So what do you think MN please?

Everyone involved is OK with this

Then that's all that matters

but I can't help feeling it's a little unfair.

But it's absolutely none of your business

Personally I would leave my money to my siblings. My neice and nephew would inherit from my child-free sibling in due course anyway.

But I am sure every family had their own reasons and outlook.

I guess that's it "mixed". Every family has there own outlook.

I think what he did was fine but as we don't know the amount that could change my view e.g. He leaves 2 million to each dc then further DCs are born, well they would be disadvantaged compared to their cousins/ siblings which is not so good and would prob result in future family ill feeling.

Meanwhile, in Syria......

We don't have children
I have a brother and sister, both have children
DP has a sister with three children

Everything is going to SiL's children because my siblings have not spoken to me for thirty yesrs and neither have their children.. OTOH we will try and leave very little behind.

Yeah well, Pallasthena, perhaps apply that to every single conversation you have today, huh, and then keep your mouth closed if it turns out to be a trivial matter. You may have a very quiet day.

Well I'm such an awful human I have left money to my favourite sister only and I'm one of six dc. Actually I'm not she has just been the one who has always supported me throughout my life.

People can leave their money to who they like and it's of no ones concern at all. The only time it is wrong is if people have been cajoled in to making wills when not within their right minds when dying etc.

By definition what testators do is fair because they did it and it's their damned money to leave as they see fit.

Questions of fairness only arise in intestate succession which is a whole other issue.

fairness doesn't come into it. only in the case of a reasonable provision for a dependent. otherwise he can do as he pleases and it's no ones business. lucky N&N!

fairness doesn't come into it
No it's up to the testators what they do.

But having had all my elderly rellies pass away over the last few years I'm very aware what emotions sorting out inheritance can bring out.

It's sad that someone can lob a grenade into the family closeknittedness by favouring one family member over another. This can easily leave a life time of anger or bitterness, although time would heal.
And it def colours your memories of the deceased!

Actually I disagree too and think sometimes the intestate will can be fairer. I lost an uncle intestate and each if the siblings families ended up with a fair share. Another brother basically left the whole estate ( the home my dad grew up in) to be shared between the children of one of the siblings. I suspect that his thinking was that the property needed work and they were financially in a better position to do it.
However actually I think that the people most affected by this decision were the beneficiaries themselves as it has caused big rifts between them.
There plans to do it up and make it a holiday home never happened and I was shouted down when I suggested it would be nice to visit.

I've left it to my siblings, I could have divided iTunes among the various nephews and nieces but I just figured that my siblings will hand it over rather than using it themselves.

Reading this thread has made me wonder if, as my siblings get older, I should just skip a generation and DP.it it equally.

If there was no will, no spouse and no children, the laws of intestacy take over and the estate goes to parents if they're still alive or siblings if the parents are not still alive.

If the deceased wrote a valid will, then it doesn't matter who they leave the estate to or whether it's fair or not.