What would you do? Do you think this is fair.

Personally I’d leave most of it to adult daughters, say 2/3, split equally, and would then divide the rest equally between the granddaughters.

The adult dds can always pass on some of their legacy to their children if they want to - that’s what’s generally happened in this family - the younger ones’ need is often greater.

I wouldn’t name actual sums - just percentages, since it may not be known exactly how much will be left if there’s IHT or anything else to pay.

Perhaps you could do as my mother did and leave each of your grandchildren a specific amount and the balance of your estate split equally between your daughters.

I would leave the grandchildren the same amount each eg a thousand pounds, and split the residue equally between the daughters

Presumably your daughters might still have more children. Personally I would split the estate equally between the three daughters and leave them to pass on whatever they wish to their children - if anything. That is fair.

Our will is split equally between our children only, on the assumption that in due course it will reach the grandchildren
I assume noone asked a daughter to have multiple children and it could be argued that the one-child families are being more socially responsible by having a smaller family.

Someone in my wider family has tried to manipulate their parents into favouring them because they have three children It’s caused a lot of distress among the siblings with fewer children, they feel less valued. And what happens should another grandchild arrive on the scene after your demise? They won’t get anything at all.

We have 4 adult children and our will splits everything 4 way’s regardless of the number of children they have (and 1 has 5 kids whilst another has none)

We chose to have 4 children, how many GC we have was not our choice and we feel this way is fairest.

I wouldn't want anyone to be adamant that I changed my will.

My parent and we have done the same. Devided between both our children they share out to theirs.
My sister and I just devided our 50 % of the estate.
None of this fussing around.

My parents didn’t know about the grandchild born after they had written their will. They had forgotten to rewrite their will years later.
I would, as I have done split money equally between daughters and for them to pass down any money they wish to their children.

I'd do a will that states equal amounts to however many grandchildren there are, by the time you "pass away" (just to annoy people) and the rest to be split three ways between your daughters.

My total legacy will go to my 3 DDs, divided equally. The will also states that it is my wish that they share some of this with their children, if they wish to and if they are able to.

This leaves the ball in their court as regards their children.

I am with GSM on this - Equally split between my three children. D.I.ls and 6 Grandchildren will each probably get a piece of my jewellery . The rest of my jewellery will go to my daughter. D.I.l,s will inherit jewellery from their mothers anyway.

Germanshepherdsmum

Presumably your daughters might still have more children. Personally I would split the estate equally between the three daughters and leave them to pass on whatever they wish to their children - if anything. That is fair.

I agree with this.

Personally it wouldnt occur to me to do anything different.

That is what is supposed to be happening to me.
Never occured to me that I am losing out!
In fact, I would say that to do anything different, is unfair!

I would tell her that I will do what I decide is right. This is an often overlooked problem when parents give details of their wills to their children.

mokryna

My parents didn’t know about the grandchild born after they had written their will. They had forgotten to rewrite their will years later.
I would, as I have done split money equally between daughters and for them to pass down any money they wish to their children.

My mother wrote her will long before she died, by then having had dementia for ages. So although a couple of her GGdcs were named, a later one wasn’t, but the executors adjusted the figures to include her anyway.

I have split my will between my three children. They will take care of the grandchildren, I'm sure.
However, I agree with MissAdventure about anyone being " adamant" about how I left my money. I would be tempted to say "Golly, this is going to be contentious...I see the problem. I'll leave it to the Cat Rescue group instead ".

I'm of the same opinion as you MisAdventure, treat all the grandchildren the same. It never ceases to amaze me the people who think they should dictate to their parents how those parents leave their estate. The entitlement!
Next they'll be demanding no buying new clothes, holidays etc you're eating into my inheritance.

My own children have all said we should spend our money on ourselves, they couldn't care less about inheritance. In fact the ones without a disabled child think the one who does needs a lot more help and support.

As Witzend has said it is possible for the will to be adjusted by the heirs. I know personally of a family that juggled the bequests left to grandchildren to better reflect an even distribution.

I would leave everything to your three daughters equally and maybe £1000 to each grandchild. My parents did this (the grandchildren were delighted) and I have personally given my great children £500 each from my inheritance on my mother’s death. I lost my father many years previously.

When you say all of them, do you mean your three daughters and five grandchildren, eight people in all, are to receive equal shares?

Say you have £400,000 to leave. They all receive £80,000.

Or, leave it all to your daughters so they each receive £133,333. When they die, two grandchildren receive £133,333 and three grandchildren receive only £44,444.

Also, bear in mind what would happen if any of your daughters were to predecease you or divorce after you have died and find that their inheritance is taken into account in the divorce settlement.

This really depends on whether you want all of your grandchildren to benefit equally.

If that is the case, I might be inclined to set aside a specific percentage of my estate to be divided equally between all grandchildren (however many there happen to be by the time you die) and the residue divided equally between your daughters - making provision for what is to happen if any of them predecease you.

I would definitely state an amount that can be shared equally between grandchildren, including any possible future ones, and the rest to be shared between your daughters.

Be a little careful, my parents wrote their will together to include a sum to each grandchild, but didn't realise that would be due on the first death. So when my dad died, my mum phoned me very upset saying she hadn't meant the money to be paid while she was alive. I think they had had very bad advice and my children were still young, so I just assured her to keep the money and the children got it when she passed on.

However my children know my intentions, but if one of them had tried to tell me what to do with my will, they would have pretty short shrift from me. I expect gratitude, not arguments!

A token gift for each GD eg £1k ...the rest shared between 3 GD

I have been on the receiving end of unfair treatment and I can in total honesty say it was and is utterly devastating.

Equal shares, no messing about. So sorry your daughter is behaving like this.

GSM agree with you. The grandchildren will all receive money as it filters down through the passing of time. Leave it only to your own children and let them decide how to spend it.

My will shares my estate equally between my 2 children which is the same as my parents did for me and my brother.
When my granddaughter was born I put £5000 in an investment in her name that she cannot access until she is 18. I am going to do the same for my grandson who is due in 2 weeks.