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

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I think it does doesn’t it?

The decision rests with your DF as to actually getting around to making a Will in the first place, and then how he chooses to leave his money. If there's a property involved, chances are he'll leave it to her or the right to leave there the rest of her life, with the proceeds passing to beneficiaries on her death/sale - if he hasn't chosen one of those options, chances are she can claim she's a dependent on him and remain in the property for life.

Obviously no one is guaranteed to inherit.
We are currently looking into doing our wills, we are ensuring that our son will receive ½ of the home etc if one of us dies, ensuring he will get some inheritance and it wont miss him out if surviving parent remarried.
Personally we dont have worries about the other but it smooths out /sets out for other considerations we will also be putting in place.

Your mum would have got half the marital assets though, wouldnt she?

Not necessarily. DH and I have a big age gap. Our wills state that on the death of one of us, that half of the estate goes into a trust which the remaining spouse can use during their lifetime. When the other dies, the estate will be divided between the children. If your dad dies first, you may still inherit but not immediately. You can't expect, when your dad dies, that your DSM will sell her home and live in reduced circumstances so that you can inherit a portion of the shared wealth she and your dad have built together. It's their money, not yours, and you should expect to wait until both die for whatever they may choose to leave you.

Why not ask? Everyone should be having practical conversations with their parents, that include advance healthcare planning, power of attorney plans and wills. It’s just good planning.
My parents appointed my two brothers as their executors, and wills have been updated at various points over the years, and since by DF passed away.
I don’t know specific details of my DM’s will, but I know she has one that has taken into account her children & grandchildren.
When my DF died, most of his estate went to my DM of course, but all the children and his grandchildren got an amount of money.

In your case it’s both advisable to ask about a will, and if there is provision for you; you don’t necessarily need all the details, if you / he prefer.

I do wish as a society we were more open about talking about dying, death, finances etc.

All the secrecy, 'it's private' nonsense means that the truly grabby are able to take advantage.

I am open with DCs (all adults). I have talked with them on many occasions about wills, inheritence, my views on end of life care. This is a reaction to my DM's actions, doing the opposite of what she has done.

He should redo his will after remarrying. And powers of attorney.

💯 agree.

Depends how your dad organises his will.

My Dad in a similar situation has left most of his money to be split between my sibling and I, but his wife has a life interest in his property - so she has the right to live there with no charges until she dies.

Then again, she has her own money so isn't financially dependent on him. Every case is different.

Entirely up to him, assuming this is in England. He can leave stuff to you if he wants. He could leave you his house but with a clause saying she gets to live in it until she dies. If they're tenants in common he could leave his half to you (again, you wouldn't benefit until she was dead). Under English law, the choice is entirely his.

Yes. Getting married automatically invalidates any previous will.

I do-it is her dad. My dad always made us feel secure in what he would leave us, as I have done with my own children. He always put us first and I shall continue the family tradition of looking after your children first, not your latest wife. Hope that helps.

The house is his I imagine, or it was before she moved in. She had enough money to retire at 40 so that was either her own money or my dad’s. He continued working when she had stopped

It is perfectly natural op.

To put it in context, DH and I basically have the goal of leaving our dc in a good position as the fundamental driver of what we do. It isn't massively weird for families to work to support the next generation. When new relationships blur those natural instincts, it does get messy and raise questions.

I don't know of any situations where inheritance has not flowed naturally to dc other than situations where there was some kind of disruption by a third party or some level of falling out.

People get defensive about it, but, absent those circumstances, I think inheriting from a parent is more normal than not.

My dad did get me and. Brother’s to sign power of attorney but I can’t recall if that was the health one or financial one

Your dad needs to write a will OP, as we all do, to avoid arguments after he's gone. Very likely he will leave you something but it's not guaranteed and you mustn't ask him!

If he doesn't write a will, his wife will inherit a fixed amount and the rest will be shared between his biological children including you.

Yes, I agree.

It is a bit depressing that as a society we are moving to the idea that looking after the children you bring into this world has some kind of expiry date. Of course the type of input changes, but the sentiment is still a natural one.

I’m not expecting to inherit from my dad, his wife is the same age as him and has her own children. I highly suspect he’ll go first (he’s in much poorer health) he won’t have a will, it’ll go to his wife, and she would leave everything to her own children. It is what it is.

You need to find the paperwork and keep it safe; you may need it very suddenly. You can probably order extra copies if necessary.

There is no reason why you shouldn’t - gently - remind him that any will he may have made before his marriage will no longer be valid.

Hopefully it’ll prompt him to consider what he wants to happen with his assets once he dies.

This was before the ruling on ex wives getting a share of the pension. My DM had no pension except the state pension, which became a single womens pension. The family home had to be sold and split at a time when property prices had hit the floor. It did not leave enough to buy anywhere and at 73 she wasn't going to get a mortgage. DM had to move into a rented assisted living place, it was grim.

The new wife got a state widows pension and my Dad's private pension, plus the money from the family home as DF died early on in the marriage. Oh and a British Passport...and all the benefits that entails...

Encourage him to do a new will, and whatever he chooses to do is his choice. Tell him it will save complications and arguments when he dies.

And if you have not got one, make a will yourself.

I agree with the posters saying that it's good to have these discussions.

It depends which country you live in.

Not if his will says otherwise.My divorced brother had a women move in. She then had an issue with work and gave it up, then with her house and gave it up.
Moved in with my brother and gave up work. Doesn’t pay for anything.
I have asked about his house he says it’s left to his daughter in his will.