My Dad married a woman twenty years younger, he will likely die before her. Does that mean I am unlikely to inherit?

[00K]

I think it does doesn’t it?

Because presumably he didn't want to wonder whether they were only keeping in touch with him because of the money

I don’t know if he has and I wouldn’t ask so I’ll just have to see and expect nothing anyway as pp have said

Probably. My dad married a woman his own age, but he predeceased her so she inherited. That said, they had a long and happy marriage & she was a good wife to him. We kept in touch for years, but eventually she moved away and has now met someone else. So yes, me and my sibling never inherited from our father. That is the way of the world. Your parents getting divorced is the bag of crap that just keeps on giving more crap, no getting away from it.

I don’t know anything about their finances. They go on about twelve holidays a year I would say but live in a normal three bed house

Yes I’ve wondered if we will keep in touch when he dies, I’ve known her ten years and get on with her

Also she hasn’t worked since she was 40

My widowed dad remarried- not a particularly younger woman. He died, she's still going. I don't expect i'll see a penny of what my dad and my mum worked for.

And she doesn’t have kids but has nieces and nephews

Outrageous that people are telling you to live your life as if it doesn't matter or that it's a crime to even ask when the main source of wealth for most people these days is family wealth. Not many people are self made in the current economy, most people you know was wealthy or even middle class are so because they have inherited or been gifted money. It does matter, a lot! But yes op unless he made a will to the contrary it will automatically pass to her.

Oh ffs, don't be ridiculous!

Care costs for a dementia patient can be around £2500 a week so many of us will either spend our middle years looking after our parents literally full time or not inheriting anything. These numbers are growing hugely and there will be less and less provided by social care for anyone who has any assets at all. So inheritance for many will be a thing of the past if they want to keep working and living without full time caring responsibilities.

People are extremely peculiar about this.

It's a perfectly normal thing to expect to inherit from your parents. It's happened throughout all of history and in some countries, you can leave small bequests elsewhere but it's legally expected to leave most of your money to your children (Netherlands for example).

Inheritance is about money, but it's also about being part of the family and belonging and sometimes about getting things you've grown up with and loved, like furniture or jewellry.

Having said that, it's wise to be aware that yes in England a second wife might get the lot.

Is your father the sort of man that you can have the conversation with, in a calm and decent manner? It's a minefield this. In particular if there are a few physical objects you like, it's worth asking that they could go to you. But ... best tactful face foreward!

It is wise to get your head around the idea that you might get nothing though. This is my situation and it hurts - not so much financially, more because I am no longer part of my adoptive father's family and he's given away some things I would have truly loved to come to me, in time.

I had to google as I didnt know the figures but I knew wife inherits up to an amount if there is no will

If there are surviving children
The estate is divided between the wife and the children:
The wife gets: All personal belongings, the first £322,000 of the estate, and 50% of anything that remains.
The children get: The other 50% of the remaining estate.

However @00K I would ask your dad if he has a will and if they have power of attorney set up both financial and health. These are good questions to know. Also speak to them both about any funeral wishes. Again good questions to know the answers too. Dont frame it as "do I i herit" more openended like.
Do you have a will in place.
If yes - What attorney is it with.
Have you set up power of attorney
(If no would they consider it and who to add you can have more than 1)
What are both their wishes for funerals ,burials, services, end of life care.
You can also have a conversation about if they own their house how it is owned how do they keep each other safe if the other passes. Yes it is likely to be your dad first but you never know. If the house is a maritial assett is it tenants in common or joint and what will happen if one of them require long term care.

Start the conversation with. I know I am about to ask some dificult questions and they can appear like I am intruding however I am coming from a point of view of wanting your both to be safe.

Gosh, so many snarky replies. Have a day off FFS.

Yes. It's a bit of a kick in the teeth when the younger wife ends up very wealthy and you're still struggling though.

If there is no will, then rules of intestacy apply of course, but even if he hadn't remarried you weren't guaranteed anything so nothing has changed.

I agree with PP it is a perfectly normal thing to think about.

MN seems to operate with two extremes, either elderly relatives should be passing on house deposits and doing complicated tax planning or they should be leaving their money to the donkey sanctuary to punish 'grabby' children.

Of course people can do what they like with their money but in normal circumstances parents leave house/savings to each other and then to DCs. A second marriage complicates this.

My DM has decided to bypass her DCs and leave her very modest estate to her DGCs but in a stupid and complicated way. She has also made sure that we, her DCs, are stuck with sorting out the mess.

I'm not annoyed by her leaving everything to DGCs, I am annoyed she didnt have the courtesy to tell us the we were being bypassed and dumped with a load of work.

you can refuse to do it.

Happened to my sister in law and she and her brother never saw a penny. Her dad would always put off a will because he thought he was younger than he actually was (probably spurred on by the fact he pulled someone half his age). Obviously he wasn’t that young at heart because he had a heart attack. She now lives in their childhood home with her new boyfriend and tbh it’s pretty sad.

Honestly, I would ask him about a will. He might get pissy about it but to be honest I don’t see why. When my dad got married he told us about his will and basically said it all goes to us but it’s being split 6 ways so don’t count on it. My step mum is younger than my dad, but she’s very much established and has her own money. If your step mum was broke before your dad I think you’re probably not going to get anything, but if she had/has her own money you’ll be better off.

My DH and I have wills involving something called a bloodline trust. This ensures that the money is ring fenced for our DC. If your dad has the same (our solicitor said they are quite common) then you will inherit.

That would then leave it with my DBs to sort out, neither of whom are blessed with common sense. They also dont get on. This could result in DGCs getting nothing for years.

Depends on his will. My dad also married someone 20 years his junior but he has changed his will post marriage to leave his house to me.

It's not an awful thing to ask.

Due to my - I'll call them personality traits - I asked my Mum whether it was rude to ask about her will.
She said no.
I asked.

I know what's going to her partner of 20 years, to me and my brother and to her grandchildren.

For me it was about making future plans and she knew this. I'm very black and white though - she knows this too 🤣

She is so healthy and active though and had us so young that it may as well go straight to grandkids.

Why don't you ask your Dad? Although he may be offended. You could start with...
Although clearly not every family is like mine!

If he has no will then his wife will inherit everything tax free

Don't be ridiculous.