Inheritance with step kids

[MrsKeats]

Posting here for traffic
Just curious what provision people make when sorting out their wills,
Me and dh have two children each from previous marriages and none together as we got together later in life,
We own our house and put equal amounts in.
Do we say that whoever dies first the remaining person stays on in the house until they need care etc? Then we spilt the house between the children. Or is there something else we should be doing?
We have an appointment with a solicitor booked but wanted to go in with some ideas.

I think that’s the only thing that’s fair really. You don’t want to leave the surviving partner homeless. And with equal amounts put in with equal children, it should be split evenly

Lifetime interest in property owned as tenants in common to partner and your share to your DC only and same for your DH.

There are loads of DC who end up with nothing, parents leave to each other and surviving partner remarries and leaves everything to new spouse.

Worth paying for a STEP solicitor to draw up your wills.

We have a substantial amount to leave our children

DH has 2 children from a previous marriage

I have 1 from a previous marriage

And we have 1 shared child

DH is leaving one third of his estate to each of his children

I am leaving mine to be split equally between my children

This means our shared child will inherit the most directly from us, but the other children will also inherit from their other parents. My DC from my first marriage has been left a house worth (at present) £270k from his paternal grandmother.

My own DC will also have my mother's house (worth £200k at present) left directly to them.

Yes. Nail it down so that if one of you dies early and the surviving spouse remarries, the bereaved offspring don't get cut out of their rightful inheritance.

I've seen it happen over several generations in my family.

We each have two from previous relationships but none together.

We bought as tenants in common as otherwise the survivor automatically inherits the other half of the house, but are also aware that we wouldn't want our young adult kids left with nowhere to live and their inheritance tied up with someone who may live another 30 years, so our wills allow the survivor one year and then they have to sell or buy the children out.

It's not easy whatever you do.

Interesting.
Thanks everyone. Lots of food for thought.
We have a solicitors appointment this week so I know more about what we need to ask.