Inheritance and step parents
Discussion
Anyone know anything about this stuff or had past experience?
Father and step mother married for 35 years (so very good innings). Father died in 2000 and left everything to her except a leagcy to each of the four grandchildren when they reached the age of 23. This was a lovely thing to do and I suspect it was to take the heat off us as parents for stumping up home deposit monies! I see no problem in what he put in his will, after all, despite the fact that the stepmother and I are rather ambivalent about each other, there is no reason to deny her a good life after she put in 35 years of keeping house and 'raising' children. My sister and I weren't mentioned in his will at all (that was a bit of a shocker but, to be frank, he was a bit like that - 'my business is my business so butt out') but presumably we would expect the step parent to do the right thing. The step mother is actually quite a toxic woman and is probably using the inheritance as a method of control but for me it hasn't worked as I now don't communicate. It was a one way street (only contact was if I made the effort) for 12 years and I offered her the opportunity to make it a two way street two years ago and she has remained steadfast and has not contacted me since my letter to her. Fair enough I say.
Anyway, back to now. Neither my sister nor I are trustees of his estate and step mother has not made a will (she is actually relatively healthy for someone close to 80). She is occasionally reminded (by others who are trustees) but it seems to fall on stony ground. One of the trustees has told my sister, 'if she doesn't make a will then there will be carnage!'
I understand that if she dies intestate then the money and property go to her blood relatives, which my sister and I are not. We were not adopted by her so are therefore, legally, not entitled to anything unless she writes a will to say that we get the property (which was promised to us by our father and, subsequent to his death, by her.
I would be pretty miffed if we weren't allowed our family heirlooms and, if truth be told, the property would be nice too but does anyone have any experience of being in this position? My sister is as poor as a church mouse and since her divorce has had to move back into the family home (7 beds Victorian house in SE London - nice!). She gets on fairly well with step mother as she has dealt with the differences they had. She could really do with the inheritance, if only to give her a decent life. For me it is less critical.
Any trust lawyers out there or chaps who have had similar experiences and came out the other side? Is it all doom and gloom?
JM
Father and step mother married for 35 years (so very good innings). Father died in 2000 and left everything to her except a leagcy to each of the four grandchildren when they reached the age of 23. This was a lovely thing to do and I suspect it was to take the heat off us as parents for stumping up home deposit monies! I see no problem in what he put in his will, after all, despite the fact that the stepmother and I are rather ambivalent about each other, there is no reason to deny her a good life after she put in 35 years of keeping house and 'raising' children. My sister and I weren't mentioned in his will at all (that was a bit of a shocker but, to be frank, he was a bit like that - 'my business is my business so butt out') but presumably we would expect the step parent to do the right thing. The step mother is actually quite a toxic woman and is probably using the inheritance as a method of control but for me it hasn't worked as I now don't communicate. It was a one way street (only contact was if I made the effort) for 12 years and I offered her the opportunity to make it a two way street two years ago and she has remained steadfast and has not contacted me since my letter to her. Fair enough I say.
Anyway, back to now. Neither my sister nor I are trustees of his estate and step mother has not made a will (she is actually relatively healthy for someone close to 80). She is occasionally reminded (by others who are trustees) but it seems to fall on stony ground. One of the trustees has told my sister, 'if she doesn't make a will then there will be carnage!'
I understand that if she dies intestate then the money and property go to her blood relatives, which my sister and I are not. We were not adopted by her so are therefore, legally, not entitled to anything unless she writes a will to say that we get the property (which was promised to us by our father and, subsequent to his death, by her.
I would be pretty miffed if we weren't allowed our family heirlooms and, if truth be told, the property would be nice too but does anyone have any experience of being in this position? My sister is as poor as a church mouse and since her divorce has had to move back into the family home (7 beds Victorian house in SE London - nice!). She gets on fairly well with step mother as she has dealt with the differences they had. She could really do with the inheritance, if only to give her a decent life. For me it is less critical.
Any trust lawyers out there or chaps who have had similar experiences and came out the other side? Is it all doom and gloom?
JM
For me it is more about heirlooms as I have provided well for me and mine. The money side of things would more benefit my sister. I completely accept what my fathers wishes were and that step mother inherited everything. I also accept that there is no turning back on the original will. My query was more about the intestacy side. That has been answered, so thanks for that. It wasn't a sob story just a request for any similar experiences.
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