I thought there might be some assembled wisdom, thoughts etc here or even a family lawyer??
I recently discovered that I have a half sibling, living on the other side of the world, and HS only found out a year or so before I. HS was born a couple of years before me and now we are both heading towards latter decades.
A step relation, SR, with same Grandfather as I, had an Ancestry DNA test a good few years ago for a family tree research hobby and the results lay dormant on the database.
HS was told by an elder sibling, No 4 and 5/6 years older, that HS biological father was not the familial father. Older S3 is still alive as well, S1 and S2 have departed. S4 told HS that father was called ABC. HS managed to piece together from the family photo albums and records etc that indeed there had been a chap called ABC in their life in the years before HS was born. They were all living abroad at the time. HS then had an Ancestry DNA test and the database system matched up SR and HS. The circumstantial evidence is pretty solid I think, and the DNA test match then makes it pretty conclusive.
I think this is all rather late in the day and HS parents and grand parents, who all clearly knew due to geography, absences and timings, should have fessed up many years ago. However, notwithstanding all that, we have been in touch by email and Zoom.
I had a Sister who tragically died a few years after my Father, now decades ago.
My Father's will had these clauses:
"His whole interest in the matrimonial home passed to my Mother" And a good proportion/all of the 2 matrimonial homes had been funded anyway by my Mother's inheritance, an only child, from her Father.
"I give to each of my children the sum of £X pounds."
"The executors shall hold the residue of my estate on trust for the lifetime of my Mother. Then to divide the capital equally to my children who survive me."
So when my Mother departed a few years ago, all the residue passed to me as S had departed many years ago.
A friend was in a similar situation a few years back and the advice was "treat her as your Father would have". Others who I have tried to discuss with, including SR, have just avoided the topic. I am sure his will would have included any number of children. Perhaps he had an inkling to choose those words??
I don't know that either my Father or Mother knew about HS. They only met at the earliest around the time HS was born, and were married a year or so later. I and HS don't even know the circumstances of my Father/HS Mother involvement - whether an affair or a drunken party 1 night stand.
I haven't found any "open in the event of" envelope in the family box of records.
So I guess, legally I should follow the terms of my Father's will and give HS £X and half share of the residue. I don't think there is any possible claim on the matrimonial home as the funds had largely come from Mother.
Morally, I think follow the will is the correct course of action. Which would just leave me where I would have been if my Sister was alive. I guess I should take a DNA test just to check everything.
I look forward to some comments.
- [Message from MNHQ: Title and posts edited at OP's request. Originally said 'step sibling' - OP meant to say 'half sibling' so we've edited the thread accordingly.]