Opinions here please.

My feeling is that anything I've inherited is mine - to spend or leave to anyone I choose. I never felt obliged to consider my husband's relatives in my will. So, I'd say it's probably common - and fair.

Who else should they be left to?

Oh sorry r y I get you now. Yes I think the husband's nieces and nephews should be included in the will.

You can leave your estate to whoever you wish. Assuming in your cases none of the wider family were dependent on the deceased, it’s up to them. If the husbands had wanted any of their estate to go to their own nieces/nephews, they could have stipulated that in the will.

Now you’ve mentioned it, I suppose a similar situation has occurred in dh’s family. His aunt’s widower left everything to the children from his first marriage. None of dh’s family received anything, even though his parents had cared for the aunt’s elderly mother/dh’s grandmother for years.

It never occurred to anyone that that was unfair!

I have never given inheritance any thought. It's been pleasant to receive money of course. But I'd not be fretting about scenarios.

Inheritance is such a complex business.

When my husband died six years ago I rewrote my will, as ours had been mirrored. I left my estate in equal shares to my two children. My husband had a son by his previous marriage, I met him for the first and last time at the funeral and ashes internment. He is a mature man in his 40's, very well established with a young family. I sent Christmas cards for five years without response, neither of my kids have heard from him.

Two years later I'd organised a trip to Thailand for my children and I, plus my son's girlfriend, and I contacted my solicitor to find out what would happen in the event of our death. I discovered my estate would have gone to my estranged Father, he is now 90. I changed it so the long stop in this event is a charity.

One hopes this was discussed when they made their wills, who knows of the nuances in family relationships.

I agree with Hetty58 I won’t be taking into consideration my deceased husbands family in my will, he had no children of his own but always considered my children and Grandchildren as his.

Surely it’s something for husband and wife to agree when making a will?

My grandfather's elder brother died intestate and his widow inherited considerable wealth. She survived to 104 and left it all to her niece's family in Canada. My father and his sister were outraged as they were sure their uncle would have left something to them if he'd had the foresight to make a will (he was a bank manager!).

Why is it anyone else's business but the people concerned?

I guess the point of making a will is to leave everything to whomever you want, to do exactly as they please and that includes allowing them to choose who will inherit from them.

I'm with DaisyAnne. I'm constantly amazed about the amount of personal business that seems to be known by all and sundry. I know a will is a public document, but, it is up to the person concerned to decide who they want to benefit from their estate. There will be some in my family who, quite frankly, will get nothing. Family is a word bandied about and used at times as a weapon of emotional blackmail. Sometimes you are better treated and receive more consideration by friends. After I have left this earth, if folk are not happy with my decisions- tough! I do not have to justify myself to anyone.

I’m with DaisyAnne too, which must be a first. Absolutely nobody else’s business.

DaisyAnne

Why is it anyone else's business but the people concerned?

It's an item for discussion because wills and inheritance affect all of us. The possibilities are endless when a person dies and their spouse or partner maybe re-marries etc. It's in our interests to consider various outcomes and to wonder where our own money might end up.

Chestnut. Surely, "fairness" is nothing to do with a will. Fairness is a perspective. The only person's perspective that matters here is the person's making the will. We cannot judge what influenced that perspective as we have not lived their life. A Will is just a legal document. Everyone has a right to make it according to their own perspective; ours is irrelelvant.

We're just discussing what we consider to be fair Daisyann. Obviously opinions will differ and don't affect the validity of the will. But it's an interesting discussion.

Our wills leave our estates as we choose and fairness doesn’t come into it.

I like that GSM!

It is normal that a husband would leave his estate/inheritance to his wife as she is in that partnership. What happens afterwards is up to her surely as it would be vice versa.

I don’t think it’s anyones business and it’s up to each individual or couple to decide how they will leave any money houses etc between them
How can anyone else judge
Original post says , I know every detail of her will it’s still her will and not yours Why ask complete strangers who know nothing about the people or the set up if it’s fair ??

If you want a discussion about wills and inheritance do a general discussion I don’t feel I or anyone else should have any input in individual cases

Unfair.

My granny and grandad had specific plans for their inheritors. Granny died, grandad remarried a woman with no assets of her own. When grandad died, his assets went to her. None remained in our family.

My uncle fought it. My dad didn't. Not sure what the outcome was.

Very sad. My granny would have been so unhappy at this.

I know someone who contested a will as he deliberately hadn’t been included. (Long story.) He appointed a no win-no fee solicitor and inherited his equal share.
Courts have come to view such matters differently according to the QC consulted and the family was dissuaded to pursue the matter.
Until then I believed wills were water-tight.

DaisyAnne

*Chestnut*. Surely, "fairness" is nothing to do with a will. Fairness is a perspective. The only person's perspective that matters here is the person's making the will. We cannot judge what influenced that perspective as we have not lived their life. A Will is just a legal document. Everyone has a right to make it according to their own perspective; ours is irrelelvant.

This doesn't relate to my comment. I didn't mention fairness.