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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

It's an inheritance one, who is right here?

679 replies

anotherinheritanceq · 27/01/2022 21:14

This one is more about what's morally right than legalities iyswim, hence why I'm posting here.

So someone I know has assets over half a million, not sure on figure but I know she owns her big house outright and has money in the bank etc. She has children from previous marriage, and she is engaged to her partner who also has children. He can't work and doesn't have any assets, he's on disability benefits. Obviously when marrying what's hers is his, fair enough.

However they've been talking about things including wills, and basically it's come up that if she were to die first (and naturally he would inherit the whole lot), once he dies he would pass everything including the house onto his children and not a penny for his wife's children. Of course she says that's not fair that her children would get nothing if she happens to die first, all her children grew up in that home etc. He argues that everyone puts their own children first and it'll be the only opportunity of giving anything to his children because of his disability/not being able to work.

Who is being unreasonable? What's the done thing in these situations?

I know she is now on about writing a will to leave something to her kids but obviously she can't leave her partner homeless and penniless!

OP posts:
SwoopingDown · 29/01/2022 21:46

[quote anotherinheritanceq]@SwoopingDown

Also since when does ANYONE have to ask permission from the relevant parties to post on AIBU!? You are ridiculous![/quote]
To put it in context, that was a reaction to your first post when you seemed to be a third party 'busybody' posting about someone else's private matters. I don't like gossips, and the damage they do.

BlueJag · 30/01/2022 10:52

I wouldn't marry a man that has nothing and decides my wealth should go to his children. Also allowing a disable man to live in my house with nothing to his name?
I wouldn't.

Technonan · 30/01/2022 11:20

My late DH and I were in this situation when we married. I owned the house and had bought it and lived in some pretty dire conditions as I had to do it up while my DS and I lived there - think no hot water, no electricity, limited heating.

But my late DS was a lovely man - when we married, we legally became joint owners, but we changed this to tenants in common so we each owned half of the property. We made wills leaving our share of the house to my DS, and the other assets to be split equally among my DS and his DD.

He recognised from the word go that morally, the house was mine. He waived his rights to the assets of the house from his previous marriage, and this went to his DD after the death of his ExP.

The arrangement described above sounds terrible, unfair and immoral, and this woman should not marry a man who would want to do this, not trust him not to renege on any agreement they make to redress this balance.

Thehouseofmarvels · 30/01/2022 11:33

In the past, before house prices soared when this happened people had less to leave, and people had shorter lives so the step parent was more likely to have contributed to wealth. Now people live long past retirement age and rises in house prices have created lots of unearned wealth. The cost of living is high and inhearitance can secure a comfortable future in many cases. As well as remarriage after divorce being more common these days. I honestly think that as the cost of living rises and wages stagnate wealth will become more reliant on inhearitance. This bloke probably realises this. I would not be surprised if people marrying strategically to secure their kids an inhearitance becomes more common. Even if inhearitamce is not his end goal as Op's mum is not that old divorce may be.
Ultimately it's parents who leave everything to a new spouse or partner but it's a shame when someone directs inhearitance so it will end up with someone elses kids rather than their own.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 30/01/2022 12:05

I wouldn't marry a man that has nothing and decides my wealth should go to his children. Also allowing a disable man to live in my house with nothing to his name?
I wouldn't.

Why is his disability relevant? It's not his disability and associated needs/lack of earning ability that are the issue here at all - it's his moral bankruptcy.

Muckymaisonette · 30/01/2022 21:33

OP, ask your DM if he’s the one pushing to get married soon? Is she having to pay for the wedding as well? Why the rush?

me109f · 30/01/2022 23:21

I don't know why she should marry such a mean and sorry bastard. She should make a prenup for the sake of her own kids, or just allow this guy to live with her but she would probably never be rid of him.
But in this case she should get him to sign away any claim against her estate. In reality, it is best that she just does not marry him.

safclass · 31/01/2022 00:50

A friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer (45) Before he died him and his wife rewrote their wills and their homes and savings were protected so that if she remarried they would go to their 2 children. I'm not sure what the terminology was but definitely able to set up with legal advice.
However, I also would not be marrying, or even stayibg in that relationship.

Movinghouseatlast · 01/02/2022 12:38

This happened to a friend of mine. He didn't know his dad had left everything to his wife of 3 years. Not only that but his dad had lent him the money to buy a flat ( it was a gift but a loan for tax purposes I think)

Despite the wife having inherited over €5 million she took my friend to court to get him to repay the 'loan'. He had to sell up and ended up homeless. He had a breakdown and was sectioned. It was so awful.

veevee04 · 01/02/2022 12:43

Omg I'd throw him out he's not very bright admitting that is he . If she wants to go ahead with the marriage she needs to go to the solicitor and get a life time trust put on the house so he can't leave it all to his children and cut hers out.

Anotherinheritanceq · 20/02/2022 18:52

I know this thread was a while ago now, but just thought I'd update for those who may have been wondering what happened, my mum has called off the wedding and ended things with this guy, she says it's for good and basically she thinks he was going to use her. He'd apparently said other things in the same vein that were quite suspicious. She was also growing quite resentful of him lounging around her house, sleeping in until the afternoon and sitting on the xbox all the time, she said it was like having another teen in the house when he stayed there.

OP posts:
JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 20/02/2022 18:55

Thank you for the update - glad to hear the wedding and the relationship is off.

CrackerGal · 20/02/2022 19:02

@Anotherinheritanceq

I know this thread was a while ago now, but just thought I'd update for those who may have been wondering what happened, my mum has called off the wedding and ended things with this guy, she says it's for good and basically she thinks he was going to use her. He'd apparently said other things in the same vein that were quite suspicious. She was also growing quite resentful of him lounging around her house, sleeping in until the afternoon and sitting on the xbox all the time, she said it was like having another teen in the house when he stayed there.

Thank goodness for that!

Lollyfalalalalalalalalaaahhhhh · 20/02/2022 19:07

My mums husband has just done this to me and my siblings. We're all adults and don't need money, but then neither does his adult dd, who also has a good job. he is also very financially comfortable as he sold a successful business and retired early.

I hate him for it to be honest. I know my mum would have left small sums to her grandchildren, if she hadn't have died so young/unexpectedly.
I hope he chokes on it and hoarding all my dmums money brings him nothing but misery.

I hope your friend gets things sorted quickly Flowers

AppleButter · 20/02/2022 19:13

Wow, so he is basically marrying her to give his kids an inheritance? Clever, if you find a woman daft and emotionally weak enough. Don’t marry him and make sure everything goes to your own kids, that is your first and only duty in life.
Imagine you die early and there isn’t enough for your kids to have a comfortable adult life with, ie they cant buy their own flats because this swindler either got it all or got half, and spends it all on himself.
Watertight will, do not remarry ! And dump him quickly. He is cheap and has no sense of what is honorable or morally right. What can you possibly get from marrying him?

AppleButter · 20/02/2022 19:15

Ok, issue solved, older thread.
Very glad she saw sense and put herself and kids first.

MargosKaftan · 20/02/2022 19:19

You must be so relieved. Your poor mum.

birdladyfromhomealone · 20/02/2022 19:40

Why is she considering marrying him?
He wants a carer/meal ticket not a wife

birdladyfromhomealone · 20/02/2022 19:41

Just read your update.
Thank the lord

babyjellyfish · 20/02/2022 19:54

Great news!

pktechgirl · 21/02/2022 17:48

My mother in law had this in her will. All her assets are left to her children but she passed before her boyfriend so he became a permanent tenant and the children cannot evict him. On his passing they get the house. But because he refuses to look after the house they expect to get nothing (windows frames rotting etc).

Tell your friend to talk to some who is an expert on wills. She absolutely can pass her property and assets but tell her to include a clause on maintenance.

watchingrnfire · 22/02/2022 11:43

Thanks for the update!!! Very happy for
You all that your mum has realised his true nature!!

Tigersonvaseline · 22/02/2022 11:50

Omg I've not read the thread, it's not his golden opportunity to give to his DC I am loathe to use the term gold digging but this is it.
I'd not be marrying and getting iron clad will with backed up letter of wishes

Finallylostit · 22/02/2022 11:54

Thank heavens for that - cocklodger is polite to describe this individual

MrsWinters · 22/02/2022 11:55

He’s a dick and a cheeky fucker. She should leave it all to her kids, with the provision that he can live in the house until his death or he chooses to move on as the most generous scenario