Do you 'Expect' to Benefit from Your Parent's Will

[Pembsgirl]

My parents had nothing, so having no 'expectations' of an inheritance in years to come, I worked hard for everything I've got, but so many people own their own homes now, so am I being unreasonable in thinking that the vast majority of people these days 'expect' to benefit from their parent's Will, and wonder how they'd feel if parents left it all to people other than their children?

While I know I should probably say that I don't expect anything, in truth I would be upset if dm didn't leave what she had split equally between my and db. If her savings all go on care bills then it will be half of nothing. It isn't about the money, it's about what it means.

I didn’t count on it..but I did expect it
What I didn’t expect was all my aunts as well.
That was a bonus

Nope. My parents have never given me any support or financial help

I only expected it as I’m an only child and knew the content of their wills. They would never ever have left it to anyone other than me. I realised though that if either/both of them needed care then it may need to be spent on that, so I wasn’t banking on it because of that. My mother died after a very short illness so didn’t need care. My father had lung cancer and wanted to die at home so I left work to care for him. I did though anticipate my inheritance. I had access to his finances so chose to spend a significant amount of that on buying in 24/7 care at home so that I knew that he was safe and cared for when I couldn’t be there. I shall always be thankful that I was fortunate enough had this choice. I certainly didn’t see it as depleting my inheritance in any way.

My parents would never leave their money to anyone else but us, their DC.

We're a very close family and we actually manage a lot of their financial affairs for them as it is.

If parents leave all or most their money to others, then I feel there is more going on and they aren't such a close family.

My father criticised his own father for hoarding money (there are no pockets in a shroud) but is doing exactly the same!

It's tragic.

My siblings and I wish he would just enjoy himself.

He is always angling for a drive in my brother's elderly sports car. Yet could waltz into the main dealer and buy a new one himself tomorrow.

The sad thing is when he dies that is exactly what my brother will do!!

Both my aunt and mum had dementia..they had to go into care. I rented their houses..wasn’t a lot £600 for one, £425 the other but it slowed things down a bits.ing with pensions etc
It’s definitely worth doing

DH and me have been told from both our parents they want to equally leave there assets to their children. Even if they want to though you can't expect as you don't know what's round the corner like paying for care etc and also I would rather they spent to be comfortable.

I’ve never asked my parents but I know they own their house and my Nana has left my mum and her twin everything in her will (her house of a good size and all her savings as they are her carers really, she told the other 2 siblings this and told them not to bother fighting as she wasn’t changing it as they take nothing much to do with her) and I know my dad is inheritaing from his parents (again a house and a good amount of savings from money made of the stock market years ago). I guess me and my siblings might get some but who knows they could leave it to grandkids or charity or whatever. As for me and dh and our wills (dhs friend died a year ago which scared dh to get things in order even though he’s only young) dh has left everything of his (we kept finances separate, only the house is in both our names) to dd, I have left my business to my sister as she’s in the same type of career as me (may change this when dd is older she’s only 4 yet) and then I have left some money to my godson and everything else to dd (a good amount I must say though).

Oh and dd gets the house which is worth a lot as it’s a 4 bed in a good location in London.

My parents are reasonably wealthy so I fully expect my siblings and I to benefit equally from their will. I’d be very surprised if they left it to other people. That said, if they spent it all and left nothing, I wouldn’t be remotely bothered. I’d sooner have them alive.

No, they spent it on care.

Not significantly. They have a paid for house but in a very cheap area and I have 2 siblings. We could do something nice and something useful with it but it wouldn't be life changing..

My mum has written a will splitting everything equally between my siblings and I. ex-council house worth probably around £60-70k and some savings. Once any care, funeral, selling property costs etc are taken off, then it's split 5 ways it won't be a life changing amount.

My parent's will is a family joke. If they die, us kids are to go live with my aunt. She wants the will changed since we are all round the 50 mark!!😆

Equal shares to all siblings. None of us want anything. Received money on fathers passing, most horrible money to get, wish he had spent it on himself, us, charity etc.whilst alive. DM received very little from DGM as all went in care home fees..Aunt has now paid over 220k in care home fees. Spend it whilst alive!

@SandyY2K in my husbands case it was because the golden grandchild went into the same occupation that he ( husband's father ) was in. Therefore was put on a pedestal and worshipped.
The other grandkids didn't so they're worthy of bob all.
My husband on the other hand, was never forgiven by his father for joining the forces.
Still as we say, we've managed all this time without it, so we can manage the rest of it.🤷

Only child here. Depends on who goes first. If it’s my Dad, then I’ll get a small estate from my Mum (she’s thrifty and good with money).

If it’s my Dad, not a hope in hell! He’ll blow through all their savings and will be skint. He is appalling with money.

Not really worried about it though, I don’t really need the money and would probably end up giving to DD.

No, my sibling will get everything. I would hope for a few trinkets for memories for me and my kids, but there won’t be much my sibling will let me have. ILs have nothing, we are actually helping FIL out at the moment.

Who knows what exactly but expect something as parents will leaves the majority to my siblings & I. Estate worth 2m plus. Similar for DH. Tbf we've already had help & I would like them to live as long as possibly so any money will be used for the DC.

One parent died with nothing many years ago, so there was no inheritance from that. Another parent has had some hard times, through no fault of their own, so I expect there's likely about 5K in savings and maybe 50K in equity (still has a mortgage despite being very elderly).

I was supposed to be a benefactor for my aunt's will. Her will was changed days before her death to leave it all to her BF's dd who moved into said aunt's house before she was even buried and then sold it. They then sued the other benefactors (days before death in will change BF's neighbours were also left 15K each - so so strange I realized). They lost. The will until days before her death was split between BF's dd, nieces and nephews. I couldn't care less about losing out, BUT it's awful to think someone was coerced/manipulated as they were dying, OR they decided they didn't think enough of you and so cut you out. I think it was the former, as does aunt's partner (also left out of new will).

Someone I know just had their grandparents leave a 1.2 million house to 1 grandchild out of 7). And all cash assets to 1 child out of 3. The parent of the grandchild who got the house. All their children and grandchildren were loving, and they feel so hurt. Again less about the money and more about a feeling of rejection.

My own grandparent left everything to 1 son and 1 daughter, cutting the rest out completely.

To me it's all very strange b/c I would think except in exceptional circumstances (kid is abusive, maybe abuses partner etc.) you'd just split estate equally between all dc. Anything else seems petty and cruel.

No, my father has said he is leaving everything to his grandchildren as my brother & I will be in at least our 50s by the time he dies (youngest is only a few months off 50 & no ill health for father).

Some of what people will be left is staggering. I feel like with big estates (I mean no one needs to inherit a million quid) there would be so much better done with the money, so many more people helped and supported. I mean think of what even 10% of that estate would do for local foodbanks? And there are many examples here of far more than 1 million being expected to be inherited too.

If I had that kind of money I'd probably donate 1/2 to charities and then split rest between dc. I don't think anyone needs to inherit million+, and in fact could easily cause some crazy behaviours, a bit like many lottery winners. I feel like it would be lovely for people to be able to inherit enough to clear mortgage or maybe pay for dc's Uni fees, but once it gets to silly money it just seems like a waste all going to 1 person/family. I mean how much do we really need?

@RubysRoo I do have siblings however in reference to "how much do people need" I was born & raised in a very normal part of London where I still live near my parents. A bog standard 3 bed terrace without parking & a postage stamp garden is 1.1m plus & in the late 90s would have been 150k. For many people an inheritance is the only way on or up the ladder, which shows how ridiculous prices are.

Siblings and I have to inherit a certain percentage whether our parents like it or not/we like it or not (German Law, and a will cannot change this, however a will can state how the rest is shared). Inheritance in Germany also includes any debts ( luckily parents have none that we know of)
The small percentage that we are legally entitled to would probably be enough to retire.

They have a huge estate. My parents have been avid entrepreneurs and heavy successful investors. Not expecting anything and wouldn't mind if they decided to leave the non-legal percentage to someone else, don't think either of my siblings mind either. We don't need it. They did however give each of us a huge amount (enough to buy my first home in London & siblings both bought their first homes in the US) when we completed university, years ago.

As it stands, everything is to be split equally between the 3 of us and a Trust has been set up for their grandchildren to be divided equally.