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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel so resentful about ex's inheritance?

90 replies

flyingtartar · 25/05/2021 22:01

We split up seven years ago following his infidelity- she was a mutual friend and the relationship didn’t last. He had been a sahp as he saw himself as a writer/musician and I have a career. He was okay at it but when we split he left as needed a break – he never tried to position himself as the main carer and definitely didn’t want the responsibility.

When we first got together his dm gave him £60k as a deposit on a house. We bought together and I paid about 90% of the mortgage I would have thought until we split. We weren’t great with money and were also hit by the 2008 crash and we also moved to a bigger house so when we split there was only about £38k equity in the house and no other assets aside from my pension. When we divorced he asked for me to buy him out and for a further 10k when ds2 turns 21 (will be 9 years from now). I was only eligible to borrow about £17k and he got about £12k after fees and debts had been settled. He was adamant he wanted none of my pension, which is quite a good one.

After the dust settled I put in a claim for CM as he refused to ever discuss it with me. He has the dc 4 nights per fortnight but never pays for anything at all – has nothing for the dc at his house so I have had to provide absolutely everything since we split. At that point he started sending abusive emails about ‘his £60k’ and how I had grasped it from him. Obviously, it didn’t exist anymore at the time we split and that was as much his fault as mine, probably more so as he would never prioritise earning money over ‘following his dreams.’

So now I am comfortable month to month but having to save for his fucking 10k and provide absolutely everything for the dc. I often worry about when the dc are in uni and other major costs that would floor me. It has always felt like everything is my responsibility. It took me until last year to get any CM from him and he now pays £100 per month for a 12 and 14 year old and provides fuck all else.

He’s just inherited from his dad, who died a couple of weeks ago, and dc have shown me a house on RM he has put an offer in on – it’s £170k so must be a huge inheritance as he would never get a mortgage and has nothing of his own. He will also inherit from his dm, probably more. He’s just quids in and it really stings, though I know this is horrible of me. I’ve struggled for years and will continue to and he is now loaded having done fucking nothing all his life and effectively been subsidised by me. I have no idea whether I will ever inherit but if I do it won’t be as much as him as my parents are together and I have a troubled relationship with my dad. I’ll have to hand over the £10k as well. I had a small inheritance (well, £30k didn’t feel at all small at the time) but would have to hand a 1/3 of it over to him yet he has thousands now so it would be a drop in the ocean. If he’d just tell me he has the kid’s uni costs sorted I’d feel a lot better, but even if he plans that he’d never tell me until the last minute. I also worry that he’ll start throwing money at the dc and they’ll want to live with him. It just feels so unfair and I know this also makes me a bad person.

OP posts:
NewlyGranny · 26/05/2021 16:52

Uni students get ridiculously long vacations and can work solidly through them towards next year's costs. I think you need to make clear that if they have plans for travelling in their holidays or taking a gap year before they start, you won't be funding that!

fairycakes1234 · 26/05/2021 16:55

@PoppysMummy2021

His dad is dead. Have some respect ew
Why? Shes not giving out about his dad, shes having a rant and quite rightly so
KeyboardWorriers · 26/05/2021 18:45

@NewlyGranny exactly. I worked for a gap year and in all the university holidays. I will expect mine to do the same. The added benefit was the additional maturity and "work experience" that working gave me.

Potcallingkettle · 26/05/2021 18:56

The minimum loan you would get this year is £6092 outside London. Most unis will have accommodation within that price range (depending on Uni, you may need to shop around).
The expectation on parents is that this is then made up to £9488 which is the full amount of maintenance loan available to students whose parental income is £25,000 or less.
So in theory, you would need to find £3396 per year. We give DC £325 a month for 10 months and they have less loan than yours will. It’s enough for food, travel, textbooks and necessities plus a couple of treats and then a job funds any extras.

KeyboardWorriers · 26/05/2021 19:15

@Kimonolady

Hi, I’m a family barrister specialising in financial remedies on divorce and two things come to mind: 1) Did you get a financial remedy order when you divorced (either by going through the court process, or by lodging a consent order at court?) If not, and as long as you haven’t remarried, your financial claims against ex H should still be open, meaning that it may be possible for you to reach a settlement. 2) If the above option isn’t available to you - yes, it is possible to apply for a variation of maintenance on the basis of notional income attributed to assets. Note that there is a primary residence exclusion, so if ex H uses his inheritance to purchase a property that he lives in full time, this won’t be viable - but if he leaves it in cash, or buys a second home, you would have a shot here.

Hope that helps!

@Kimonolady I have an awful abusive ex (although he charmed the courts) and am due an inheritance (in probate at the moment). Is it really the case that he could have a claim for it? I had no idea I would get it when we divorced. There is a consent order. He pays me a token amount of maintenance(he fiddles his accounts). Have you got any good links on this so I can read up?
Bigpaintinglittlepainting · 26/05/2021 19:15

I think I would not be paying back the £10k, doesn’t matter how much interest it accrues if you never pay anything

toocold54 · 26/05/2021 19:16

I get your frustration but I think you’re overthinking things.
Don’t worry too much about him getting them to live with him full time or if he doesn’t contribute to their university fees you’re just going to get yourself stressed about something that may never happen.
Just be thankful that you are not with him anymore.

Cattitudes · 26/05/2021 21:49

If they live with him more in 6th form then it is his income they will use to calculate the parental contribution.

RedHelenB · 26/05/2021 22:34

@Bigpaintinglittlepainting

I think I would not be paying back the £10k, doesn’t matter how much interest it accrues if you never pay anything
I don't think OP would want a charge putting on her property if she refused to pay.
EmeraldShamrock · 26/05/2021 22:41

Kill him the DC will inherit. Joking. Grin
He is a miserable sod all the money in the world couldn't make him a decent person.
Thank your lucky stars you got rid.
The DC can give you IOU's until they get their inheritance plus they'll respect you so much.

CharlotteRose90 · 27/05/2021 00:54

Pay him the 10k and in the mean time I would try and be civil with him and bring the uni conversation up. If he’s not paying Cm then go back to them and chase it. Just be glad he will pay. My mum got awarded £2.50 a month for me despite my dad earning £40k. Some single parents get nothing. As for the inheritance it’s his to do as he pleases hopefully he will give some to the kids but he doesn’t have too.

IamMaz · 27/05/2021 07:20

Just decided to add this so haven't read all the posts so sorry if this has already been mentioned.

BUT my MIL died on 29th May last year - almost a year ago now. Probate was only granted in March. Nothing from her estate has yet been paid out - and it was a simple one [bungalow and straightforward savings.]
So I'm not sure how your ex can already be spending money he hasn't received...

flyingtartar · 27/05/2021 09:50

See, I don't want them living with him in sixth form, though I appreciate I won't be able to stop them if they want to.

Some single parents get nothing. As for the inheritance it’s his to do as he pleases hopefully he will give some to the kids but he doesn’t have too.

I do struggle with this one. Just because some single parents get nothing it doesn't mean we should all feel grateful for whatever crumbs we are thrown, especially if we know the other parent has plenty. I also know he doesn't have to share his inheritance with his dc but I think morally, in his case, he should. He's been subsidised by his parents (and me!) all his life, and to deny his dc a share is spectacularly shitty imo. It's like he has done what he likes throughout life knowing he will always be cushioned by his parent's wealth but he doesn't want that security for his own kids. He robs them two or three times as well - hasn't supported them in childhood, may not share his own inheritance with them, and acts in a way that minimises my inheritance to them by causing me to support them alone, including through university, and by taking £10k of my savings just because he can. I do realise the last two things haven't actually happened yet and may not, but if they do I will think him an utter disgrace until the day I die.

OP posts:
Kimonolady · 27/05/2021 16:21

@KeyboardWorriers I’m sorry, I only just saw your post! If you had a financial order when you divorced - whether by consent, or determined by the court - it almost certainly contained provisions to put an end to all of you and your ex’s future claims against each other. It’s standard wording and I would be very shocked if it had been left out! So if you have a financial order, it was approved by the Court, and now - however many years later - you’ve inherited, there’s nothing that he can do about it. He can’t use it to challenge the earlier settlement. I hope that puts your mind at ease!

ivykaty44 · 27/05/2021 19:57

Can you ask to see a copy of the will as it’s public property?

you can buy a copy after probate is granted, you go online to do so and its fairly cheap

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