inheritance - what's fair, what's right?

[ForGladOtter]

Hypothetical (not really) situation and I just would like others' take on it:

Two siblings inherit their parents' property which is now for sale. Sibling A is married with two children and is comfortably off. Sibling B is married with one child and is less financially well off. Sibling A would like the proceeds of the sale to be split three ways between the grandchildren. Sibling B would prefer a 50/50 split with the sibling. Sibling A thinks Sibling B is depriving the grandchildren of an equal share. Sibling B feels they are having to give up some their entitlement in favour of Sibling A's children. (Sibling B feels they also have more need of the financial windfall than Sibling A. It is acknowledged that their own circumstance is not the responsibility of the other. But it does feed into how they feel about the request for the 3-way split).

I would love to hear others' thoughts on this.

Sorry but Sibling A is being unfair as they have more to gain from this arrangement than sibling B who from the sounds of it, actually needs it more. However the good news is that if the house is already in the siblings names, then the split will be whatever the current ownership will be as it will no longer fall under the Will - but if remaining parent is in a care home, then the local authority may see it as depravation of benefit if this has happened recently so may come calling for proceeds from the house to cover care home fees.

Each of the siblings gets 50/50 and if they then want to give it to their kids, so be it. Or sibling B can say they may have more kids and so they wouldn't be covered under this arrangement and so it needs to be 50/50.

This!!!!!

If provision was meant to be for the grandchildren then it should have been done by the grandparent who made the will. Both siblings should inherit and split the money 50:50. Sibling A can use their share for therapy as they are clearly deranged!

Split 50:50 between the siblings, and Sibling A has clearly ended up better off as they are a grasping CF!!!

split according to need... e.g. disabled sister unable to work should get more than abled brother working in a bank

Split 50/50 between the deceased's children.
Inheritance is not for the grandchildren but for the children of the deceased.

Another vote of 50/50 between siblings not the grandchildren. It’s nothing to do with the grandchildren.

Split 50/50 between siblings is fair.

This. This was the grandparents will and wishes. I'd contest anything else

Well if the house is “already “signed over” to the siblings surely it is specified what proportion each sibling owns so that is the proportion each should get on the death. Grandchildren don’t come into it and neither does the lack of a will. The sibling with more DC is being a CF and grabby.
My DGM had three grandchildren, my cousin, my DB and me. My cousin has lived across “the pond” since before I was born and, arguably, knew our DGM less well than I and DB who saw a lot of her and lived together for eight years but I would not have dreamed of suggesting that DB and I should inherit more from her than our cousin. For the record, she did not leave us monetary bequests anyway.

Split between siblings.
If each party wants to give to their kids, they can do this.

Very obvious manipulation of person A to benifit their family, if she has 2 kids and person B has 1 kid. Terrible and selfish.

Depends on the will. My grandmother split her estate equally between children and grandchildren - so we each got 1/16 of the estate. My own parents are splitting equally between their kids.

If the will is 50/50 or if there is no will in place then yes you split down the middle. If will includes gcs it’s a different matter.

50/50 between siblings as the will states, then each sibling can give to their own kids as they see fit. Sibling A does not get to bully sibling B into giving up their inheritance to the benefit of sibling A's own kids.

If the property has been transferred to the siblings in equally shares then the two of them own half each. That's all there is to it. Any money going to the grandchildren would be a gift.

"Does your DB even know? Might he be really upset and feel like he’s being punished for not providing grandchildren?"

I don't know; he's rather reclusive and hasn't had much to do with us in recent years, which is his choice. I don't agree with how my parents are dealing with their will but obviously I have no say in it.

Legally it should be 50/50 and morally to. Regardless of anyone current finances

50:50 split between siblings, nothing else is fair in the circumstances.

My parents have in their wills.

50% of everything, divided between the 4 children.

Then the other 50%, split between how ever many grandchildren there are.

Two younger children are still growing their families- so saves them keep changing their wills.

Although, I feel my siblings and I wouldn’t argue over such. This definitely makes its ‘fair’ for all.

My Mother’s parents treated her very unfairly, her own life. So she has always been extra sure, to treat everyone equally- even when we tell her multiple times, she doesn’t need too. Bless her!

50/50 split is fairest. Parents can then decide if their children gets a cut.

Several years ago I posted on here asking for advice on how to leave our estate to our two sons.
D1 has one child, DS2 has three.
I was told very firmly on MN that their family planning decisions were not my concern and the inheritance should be split equally between our two
DSs .
This is what we have done, they know and are content.

So if this hypothetical situation were to happen to me I would be sibling A by the way of having two children and slightly financially better off than sibling B.
I would say a 50/50 spilt between siblings is much more fair. As someone else said if sibling B then decided to adopt 4 more children would sibling A still be happy with the same divide?

Split between siblings

@ForGladOtter I really don't see what's to be debated here. The living parent has transferred ownership of their property to their two children - not their three grandchildren. Sibling A does not get to vary that decision by the parent - it's simply not their right to do so (lawfully or morally). The property should be sold and the proceeds split 50/50 between the two siblings, exactly as the parent has indicated it should be.
As an aside, who know what the future holds? Maybe sibling B will have a second child, or maybe (God forbid) one of sibling A's children will die prematurely. The only fair split now is an equal one between the two siblings as the parent has decreed (and yes, sibling A does sound grabby).

Split 50:50 between the children who then later on leave an inheritence to their children and so on.

My sentiments exactly!