Widower father and his new partner - he has bought new house and she is moving in

[1wokeuplikethis]

My mum died 5 years ago and my father has recently sold their property (our family home) to move closer to remaining family. He has bought a new house in his name only but his new girlfriend will be moving in with him imminently as she would no longer have to work to pay rent and so could retire thanks to dad.

I have a lot of feelings about this but I’m not looking to get into his vulnerabilities or potential romance fraud as I have already spoken to him about this.

but should she outlive him, would she be able to stay in the house and claim it as her own, would she be entitled to any of this inheritance/property? Inheritance that my mother and father built together and had always planned to leave to me and my sister? There was never any plan to give any share to new partners/girlfrieds as I don’t think that had even been considered given that they were married for over 50 years.

he has only just moved in and she has not yet officially moved in so I’m looking for any legal or property or inheritance advice before anything progresses.

thanks

Surely it’s up to him? It’s his house and his money.

my dads wife moved in with him - they downsized and are mortgage free. I’d expect her to stay as it’s her home and that’s what he wants too should he die first.

What is it with these old codgers still looking to their legs over in their 70s/80s?

I would be doing everything in my power to see off this woman and protect my inheritance.

Her rights towards any ownership are not guaranteed. It depends what he decides to do though in his will eg he could give her a life interest in the property after his death to live there. He could even give it to her in his will. It's his decision.

So 'hey dad, don't care what you want, I want money and the house when you die'?

It’s not an inheritance unless someone dies and names you in their will. Until then it’s that person’s money to spend as they wish

If she moves in and doesn't have to pay any bills or rent, and then outlives him she can claim she is a dependent cohabitee and make a claim from the estate for some provision for her living.

He needs to make her pay bills and/or some kind of rent to protect your inheritance.

Well I think a daughter is a damned sight more entitled to it (half that wealth is her mother’s, don’t forget) than some side piece who just rocked up?

Yes, only in England, land of the dysfunctional families! In the rest of Europe, offspring can’t be disinherited and rightly so.

@MakkaPakkasCave you sound bitter has this happened to you 🤔

This is useful advice thank you. This is what I’m after.

im obviously not going to tell her to disappear. She brings him happiness and company. She might be pulling the wool over him but he feels he is being shrewd and not tricked. I can’t really suggest any more than that, as it’s his life and his choices.

but I wanted to know if she has any claim if she outlived him, they didn’t marry and she wasn’t named on the house.

Dealing with this myself. It gets messy really fast.

my suggestion is to just stay quiet and to stay out of it as much as possible. For now, it’s his money to fritter away, even if it’s galling to see your mother’s savings being spent. In my case the savings were built by financially abuse my
mother and us children so it really stings.

Don’t sign anything if you don’t have a solicitor review it first. My father tried to do some really strange things with his estate that would have tied me to his girlfriend if he got my signature.

my grandfather and his girlfriend were smart. They kept close but separate homes and separate accounts. No combining finances to make either of their deaths complicated for their children or for one another.

Look at the The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.

What did your mother's Will say?
Was her interest in the house left to her children with the provision for your father to live there until death?

I imagine that your father's half of your parents' assets can be left to whom ever he wishes, including his new girlfriend.
The fact that she quit working means that the girlfriend is some what dependent on your father so she could make a claim.

I would advise your father to seek legal advice. Offer for you and your sister to accompany him so that you all understand the options and how your late mother's assets might be able to be protected from the new girlfriend.

Your father needs specialist knowledge.

Does HE want to leave everything to his partner?

I would hope that he will make some provision for his new partner in his will to avoid his house being sold leaving her homeless. As well as leaving something to you.
Your mum could have avoided this problem by leaving her savings to you in case he remarried. People do even at advanced ages. They feel lonely and want to have a life.

Sorry but there is no such thing as a deceased person’s assets. She left her estate to her husband and now everything belongs to him. Hopefully he will share his money between his new partner and his children. If there is any left. Theres such a thing as care fees.

Does she have children? Potentially they could end up inheriting the property.

I don’t understand people who think it’s acceptable to pass on family money to a new partner and her children & cut their own children out of everything. At the end of the day it was the Mum’s money too and I’m sure that she would prefer the OP and her sister to have some financial support rather than the children of a new partner.

It’s your DFs money until he dies… you can’t begrudge an older person wanting a life, a relationship etc. I do understand that it’s hard as a child to lose your Mum, and see your father in a new relationship.

Without frogmarching him down to see a solicitor, I do think you all need legal advice before she moves in.

You’re nice! Maybe he wants some company. Maybe he’s lonely. Maybe he has already made a will ensuring his children inherit. Maybe he’ll spend his last years in a care home and there’ll be no inheritance left!

Absolutely never assume anything about potential inheritance and leave your dad to it OP. The only money you’re entitled to is the money you make yourself. Sorry for the loss of your mum

Unfortunately ‘our family home’ is not a legal concept that exists, and whatever your father has inherited from your mother is now his alone, to dispose of as he sees fit.

do you know what his will says? Really, whatever is written there at the time of his death is all that matters. Any promises made, any previous discussions- they don’t really count for much, if anything.

what age are they? If they are in their 70s then they might have 10 or 20 years together. That’s not just a ‘girlfriend’ - that’s a proper relationship. And she may end up caring for him in old age.

tbh you don’t have much control over what happens. He might decide to leave it all to the cat & dog home, or blow it all on cruises and cocktails, or marry her - it’s up to him 🤷‍♀️

Hope you're never old, or lonely, or both.

My FIL is v well off and bought a house he lives in with a woman who quit her job the minute she moved in with him, has mooched off him ever since. My DH is executor of the will and he inherits it all, along with his brothers, other than the house which she gets to stay in til she passes then that reverts to his children. However I am hoping he enjoys himself in his retirement and not expecting to inherit anything. At the end of the day its his money

I wanted to know if she has any claim if she outlived him, they didn’t marry and she wasn’t named on the house.

It will depend entirely on what it says in his last will at the time he dies.

He could leave it to her outright, and any other assets.

He could leave her nothing. (Although if he is funding their lifestyle she might have some claim on some share of the estate even if she wasn't included in the will as she would be his dependent. You wouldn't if the reverse was true.)

There is no “family money”. This man can do as he pleases with his assets including the house when he dies.