What would you do? Will question..

[helpagirl]

Hi everyone, I’m going to give as much info as I can without emotion and would appreciate if people could tell me what you would do in this situation.
Blended family, Dad, Mum, step daughter, daughter and son.
Mum and Dad been together since step daughter was 2 (she is now an adult). Son and daughter also now adults. Step daughters stayed every weekend until 18 and came on all family holidays, child maintenance was paid.
Step daughter spent a lot of her childhood with her paternal grandparents.
How would you divide the will?
House owned together (Dad worked full-timed in family business to pay for mortgage etc), Mum worked part-time to pay for food and trips out with kids. Mum’s parents died and left money which contributed to renovating the house (which has added value to it).
Dad’s parents died and left enough money to buy another house which is now rented out.
So two houses as well as pensions and savings. Would it be unreasonable to split everything 41% son 41% daughter and 18% step daughter?
Step daughters Mum owns her own home and has another child. Her home is probably worth around half of what our main home is worth for context. Unsure on savings but can’t imagine it would be a substantial amount.

I assume you are the step parent, so in that case, seems reasonable. If you are the dad, I'd expect it to be equal thirds.

Doesn't the Dad leave his 50% equally between his 3 children and the Mum leave her 50% equally between her 2 children?

Yes, so that's basically what is happening. The grey area is the house that was bought with paternal grandparents money.

I’d just split it all equally between the three. Sounds like there will be plenty to go around so why complicate things/potentially poison the relationship between the siblings from beyond the grave?

How about..
Investment house - split into thirds - D, S and SD one third each.
House and investment moneys - D 5/12, S 5/12 and SD 2/12.
Assuming that M and D own 50% each of those and all of Mums go to D and S along with a third of Dad's 50% each, leaving SD with the other third of Dad's share of main house and investment monies.

So effectively:
D - 33% of house 2, and 41 % of rest.
S - 33% of house 2, and 41 % of rest.
SD - 33% house 2, and 18% of rest.

So it’s your step daughter?

Do you think you and your DH have contributed equally to your assets? He seems to have contributed more cash but in a long marriage it evens out - your labour in the home is a substantial contribution while DC are young.

If so, then you need to think in terms of individual wills and how you split joint assets. If I were your husband I’d be saying that my assets should be split by 3. But you obviously don’t want that.

i suppose it also depends who dies first …

I have 2 dds and me my husband have a ds. Dh came into their lives when they were 4 and 6. Everything is due to be split 33% .

Slightly different in that they won’t inherit from their dad but they are equal in our eyes.

Just split it evenly, she’s been a part of the family for all her life. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for resentment between siblings after I’m dead.

I missed the bit where her grandparents have given her dad a house. You could leave her that house and your children split your house? I would still split it evenly though as a preference.

Split it evenly

Whose Will - that of the parent or the step-parent?

She's been in your life since she was 2 years old why on earth wouldn't you just split it all evenly?

Split it into 3rds. You won't care when you're gone and you'll have the peace of mind before you go that the children have all been treated equally and won't be bitterly resentful.

Absolutely this. It would be different if you'd got together when she was 20 or something, but you have been together basically her whole life. I'd be too worried about fallings out if it was anything other than thirds.

Split in thirds to keep things fair and equal and show all 3 children are loved equally.