Opinions here please.

Germanshepherdsmum

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I’m thinking that’s an agreeing emoticon GSM. I wouldn’t be surprised if your working life meant you’re no stranger

Unlikely that our professional paths crossed Iam, but our love of dogs and other animals is the same.

Yes I agree
But my point was about law and wills f?

The beauty of going to a lawyer for a will instead of doing it yourself is the amount of advice received. Ours is very basic, but still there were a few items that we hadn't thought of. we had time to discuss it and make a decision.

No matter how large or small the estate, it makes things so much easier when one dies. I hate to hear tales of families left angry or torn apart because someone didn't make things clear, or didn't think out all the potential pitfalls.

Yes I have a friend who is absolutely heartbroken because of bad advice her mum received in restoration her will.

It's not about the money for her but the fact that this is the last communication she has received from her mother, who she loved and looked after.

In 'relation' to her will.

Simple answer is No it is not fair

I think it's unlikely that they will die together but if they did the inheritance should be shared equally between both sides not just hers

Having said that perhaps he had no desire to leave anything to his side of the family

When someone has inherited the money, property etc is theirs to do with as they wish.

Others may feel disgruntled for whatever reason but it was never theirs in the first place.

It’s a personal choice. I’ve made provision for the dogs, left some cash for their care. Since that will was signed, the two named dogs have died. My current two aren’t anything like as easy to care for. This thread has me reflecting on how fair I’ve been in leaving them to my sisters ?‍?

I hope no-one leaves me their cats. ??
Or their dogs, I might love the dog but I'm just too old to look it ?

Thinking of your comment, welbeck, I was amazed to hear a fact last week on BBC radio: one in four homes owned by pensioners in the UK is, apparently, headed by a millionaire.

In my view, the contents of the will belonging the the deceased are nobody else's business.

The word 'fairness' has been mentioned, I don't think fairness comes into it, to me its a case of a will states the deceased wishes, end of.

Is that mainly because of the value of the home, Nannagarra.

Sorry Daisyanne. I assume so but do not know the answer.
Frankly, I’m astounded by it.

I'm not sure but I thought the term millionaire didn't include your property. Some people can have a house valued at a million plus but they are only millionaires on paper, not in the bank?

I tried to find my late grandad's will on line last night, unfortunately they were only made public from 1995.

I did find my late grandma's - there was an upset over her will when she died, and I didn't know what it was about. Seems she had excluded my uncle, and left her estate to my Dad and her nephew.

You can still send for a copy Shandy, I have done that in the past for family history but would have to google who I wrote to. I just needed name, date and place of death and it cost £5 but that was some years back.

Thanks Germanshepherdsmum. I did find the probate details, just a few lines, showing his estate. He had stored cash in the loft, when my Dad got there the boxes were empty - his half brother had taken it all. His brother had been in the Vietnam war and had severe PTS and never lived on land again, he lived on a boat in Florida. He died in 2003, so knew his mother hadn't left him anything.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202205/medium-412988-20220503-101127.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202205/medium-875375-20220503-101226.jpg

Interesting about copies of wills and people's strange choices.
With that in mind I went to find my box in the loft to re read my father's will. I think I had a case to feel it was a bit unfair. It was more the fact that he had listed multiple benefactors with substantial amounts that made my realise how little I mattered.
Nevermind I now get to visit plaques at various animal sanctuaries! Whoopee! ? ? ? ?

I hope you get free entry, Joseanne!!

Wow Joseanne, that was a hard read for you, I am truly sorry.

I think my father thinks I am solvent and won't be leaving me a sou either. We have only recently started corresponding and he makes reference to my 'widow's pension' - 'scrape the money together to get back to the south' - laughable. I am now living on less than I earnt when I left London twenty two years ago.

No one elses's business who any inheritance is left to really. If there has been little or no contact between the deceased and niece and nephew, why should they even expect anything ?
I find your comment about the high earning husband and the wife that didn't work outside the home rather objectionable - many wives in that situation have been unpaid cooks, cleaners, hostesses, gardeners etc for their husband , so are entitled to every penny left , surely ?

I have two friends whose mother died and dad married again. When Dad died my friends got nothing and would have liked something of their mother's or father's. One of my friends would have liked her dad's medals but they were given to a nephew of her stepmother.

No I don't think it is fair but then inheritance is an emotive business.

We have made sure that our wills are airtight against this as our money will go down the blood line.

annsixty

I have recently come across two situations where the man has died first, leaving everything to his wife.
In both cases the man has been the major contributor to the income of the family.
Here, for clarification I am not saying a woman’s contribution is not significant.
In the first case , a family member, there were no children.
On her death, after him, she left her estate to her nephews and nieces.
In the second case the wife is still alive, I know every detail of her will.
Her husband was a very high earner, had his own business and worked until his death.
There is a considerable inheritance.
It is quite rightly left firstly to their family which is a small one.
In the event of them all dying together, a possibility as they holiday together frequently, the estate is left to her nieces and nephews, none to her late husband’s family.
Is this common and is this fair?

Unless you are the wife in the post, you should not be sharing other oeople's private affairs even anonymously

In the UK it's entirely up to the people involved and frankly none of our business. In France there are laws giving some people preferential inheritance but there ways of mitigating the effects.

Depends on the relationship the couple has had with any of the nephew and nieces just as if it was left to a good friend. Just because you are related it doesn't mean you are entitled except in Scotland I think, where children can't be excluded.