How do you make a will?

[stepkids]

Yeah - I know the basics... but:

I have 2 children - DP has 4 children.
We both had our own money when we came together which we have since mainly pooled.
I still have one house in my name and he has another. We reap the benefits of both of the houses with regards to generated income and visits there ourselves.

Basically when we both die I feel like our 'estate' should be split 50/50 between the 2 sets of children.

Am I being unfair?

Should it actually be split 6 ways?

If your assets are worth 50% then I think it's fair for that to go to your kids and his half to his.

No because you have combined some of your assets. You might want to leave your respective houses to your own children but your pooled assets should be split 6 ways otherwise your children benefit unfairly to your partner's children's detriment.

How old are they? What might the kids inherit from their other parents? How long have you been together? Do both sets of kids live with you and see you both as the main parental carers? Where did your money come from - any substantial inheritances?
Big difference between say a couple getting together in adulthood and just passing on their mainly-inherited-from-parents-assets to their respective kids, and a couple who blended two families of primary school kids, raised them to adulthood together and made most of their money themselves.

Who brought more to your combined table originally? Who generates more income to your combined table? The pre - marital assets should go to the kids whose parents owned those assets prior to marriage. The joint assets should be split equally among the six children. U

I don't think that what the kids might inherit from other parents, grandparents, etc. should factor into the consideration. You cannot make any assumptions about the distribution of assets over which you have no control.

Either your 50% goes to your 2 and his 50% to his 4, or you split it all between the 6. There’s no right or wrong because every situation is different and depends entirely on your set up.

Either way get it done properly so it’s watertight legally and can’t be changed if the second party remarries or the likes.

Your 50% goes to your DC, his 50% split 4 ways between all DC.

Thanks for all the responses.
My kids are older and have never lived with us. His kids are all younger and live with us full time. The youngest is 14. In essence his children cost 'us' a lot more.
I also earn more a lot more at the moment.
If we both join our finances then I'd want to definitely split it 50/50 - maybe even more to my kids as I have an elderly sister who is not well and will leave everything to me- on the understanding my kids will benefit from it as they have been her most precious family. DH has no inheritances coming his way.
So 50/50 seems the way to go - I feel like it's not my kids fault my partner has more children.
Thanks all.

If what's pooled is truly pooled (no picking over who contributed the most money or the most kids to the equation) then half belongs to each of you equally. You can leave your half to the local cat and dog shelter if you like and it's not anyone else's business. Same for him.
If you contributed more money and fewer is any years of dependent kids, then his kids are already doing ok out of an equal share of his half.

Tell your sister to leave her money directly to your kids so skipping you. Unless you really need the money or your children are addicts. Inheriting in your 20s or early 30s helps you get educated and/or property.

Then you can decide what you want to do now with your own assets and write a will reflecting that.

You can then change the will if along the line you have a stronger relationship with all or any of his children. It's not unheard of for other relations including a step-child to take care of an elderly person rather than that elderly person's children. They do it out of kindness.