Blended family will

Pizzatrip · 2025-04-09T18:58:48+00:00

Hi all, My partner and I are buying a house together. I have one DC from a previous relationship and we have a joint DC. My partner thinks of my older DC as his own and and we both want both DC to inherit equally from the house eventually. Although I trust him entirely to follow this through, we would like to make a watertight will to protect my older DC if I were to die first. Is there any way to “lock in” these wishes so that my partner wouldn’t be able to change this after i died?

Polyethyl · 09/04/2025 20:01

Be tenants in common. Not joint tenants

BirdIsland · 09/04/2025 20:06

Tenants in common alone won’t achieve this. You need a will with the right trust structure in, and the right trustees. Go speak to a solicitor and get it done properly.

Cerialkiller · 09/04/2025 20:06

There isn't a way to make the wills watertight as he/you could change it at any point. You either want a trust or as pp say tenents in common then your will give as each want individually.

In many blended families this might be you each splitting it between your own children. So Dps half goes to your joint child and your half is split between the two children. If dp considers both kids his then find.

Harassedevictee · 09/04/2025 20:15

You need legal advice but the way it is often done is to own the house as tenants in common and you have a will giving the other partner a life interest but your share is split between your DC. Note: the life interest can allow for the surviving partner to downsize etc.

chimesandrhymes · 09/04/2025 20:18

Look into have mutual wills prepared, NOT mirror wills

BirdIsland · 09/04/2025 20:19

Mutual wills are a pain in the arse, there is no need for them in this scenario.

Original poster

Pizzatrip · 09/04/2025 20:28

Harassedevictee · 09/04/2025 20:15

You need legal advice but the way it is often done is to own the house as tenants in common and you have a will giving the other partner a life interest but your share is split between your DC. Note: the life interest can allow for the surviving partner to downsize etc.

The trouble with this approach is that my partner COULD leave his whole share to our shared daughter down the line and she ends up with 75% and my daughter 25%.

If I left my whole share to my older DC, then if my partner were to downsize later in life, my older DC would receive a payout, whereas the younger one wouldn’t, unless my partner gave his share to her at the same point. I’m sure he would do this if he was able, but obviously financial situations can change.

OP posts:

Original poster

Pizzatrip · 09/04/2025 20:31

BirdIsland · 09/04/2025 20:19

Mutual wills are a pain in the arse, there is no need for them in this scenario.

At a quick glance, mutual wills look good.. what makes them a pain in the arse?

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BirdIsland · 09/04/2025 20:36

@Pizzatrip they’re difficult and expensive to make, and they don’t allow for any change in circumstances after the first person dies. And they don’t stop the survivor of you gifting assets away. But honestly, go see a solicitor, they’ll be able to answer all your questions and put your mind at ease. Your situation isn’t unusual at all, there are good ways of managing it.

Original poster

Pizzatrip · 09/04/2025 20:39

BirdIsland · 09/04/2025 20:36

@Pizzatrip they’re difficult and expensive to make, and they don’t allow for any change in circumstances after the first person dies. And they don’t stop the survivor of you gifting assets away. But honestly, go see a solicitor, they’ll be able to answer all your questions and put your mind at ease. Your situation isn’t unusual at all, there are good ways of managing it.

Thanks. Absolutely going to see a solicitor.. just getting an idea of things 😊.

Would there be any reason my partner shouldn’t just leave everything to me?

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LifeBeginsToday · 09/04/2025 20:55

Raising a child as your own is different to ensuring wills are the same. Both children have different dads and will therefore naturally inherit differently from each family on their paternal side.

parietal · 09/04/2025 21:17

I would do the mutual wills but giving partner a 10 year interest in the house, not a life interest. that gives the surviving partner 10 years to plan how to either buy your older child out of the house or sell up and move to a smaller more suitable house. But a life interest could leave your child waiting another 30+ years for their inheritance and having potential arguments over property maintenance etc with their step-father.

Original poster

Pizzatrip · 10/04/2025 08:00

LifeBeginsToday · 09/04/2025 20:55

Raising a child as your own is different to ensuring wills are the same. Both children have different dads and will therefore naturally inherit differently from each family on their paternal side.

My older daughter will inherit very little fro her real father and thinks of my partner as her dad

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Original poster

Pizzatrip · 10/04/2025 08:05

parietal · 09/04/2025 21:17

I would do the mutual wills but giving partner a 10 year interest in the house, not a life interest. that gives the surviving partner 10 years to plan how to either buy your older child out of the house or sell up and move to a smaller more suitable house. But a life interest could leave your child waiting another 30+ years for their inheritance and having potential arguments over property maintenance etc with their step-father.

This will would be more to cover them if I were to die whilst they were young. They’re currently 8 and 3 and if I were to die now, they would both stay living with my partner. I think a lifetime interest (that allows partner to move hpuse etc) might be the way to go, as it’s no different to waiting for inheritance if we both live to old age. Will chat it over with a solicitor. Thanks for the reply

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