Opinions here please.

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

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 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.

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

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!).

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

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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

Who else should they be left to?

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.