12 Internet Stories About Wills And Inheritance That Split The Crowd

Redditor u/Home-Time-6077:

My sister (F27) and I (18F) lost our dad a year ago. He was my only parent; mom never entered my or my sister's lives. Dad left money, an inheritance, for my sister and me. She used her inheritance for new cars and renovating her house. I live with my aunt now because my brother-in-law wouldn't let me stay with my sister. I plan to use my inheritance money for college tuition. I always wanted to be a doctor, but I have not chosen a branch yet.

My sister and I are not close. It began after she married her chronically ill husband. He made backhanded comments about Dad and mocked his illness, even making a scene at his funeral. She allowed this because he was ill and shouldn't face blame for his actions. I pulled away. Still, my sister visited often recently, talking about her brother-in-law's condition. He has been in and out of the hospital for heart problems and needs surgery. She mentioned my inheritance money several times, but I stopped the talk. She then directly asked if I could help pay for her husband's surgery, promising to pay me back in under a year. I felt uneasy. Giving her money from my inheritance, a large sum, meant there was no guarantee she would repay before I needed to apply for college. I am taking a year off, but I know my sister cannot pay back that much. I felt I risked my future.

I refused to help. She had a meltdown at my aunt's house, calling me heartless and cruel with no empathy. She claimed her husband's health must come first. She demanded I help because education matters less than someone's health. She asked if I would be happy seeing her as a widow and my nephew without a father. My aunt suggested others pay, but most of them cut my sister and her husband off. I argued that her husband's poor health was not my fault, especially since she kept blaming and guilt-tripping me. She cried. Although my aunt stepped out of it, she warned me I would face permanent damage in my relationship with my sister if I did not help her now.

She sends texts and pictures of her family telling me what I said no to: a happy, healthy family with a healthy husband and father. I cried. I felt selfish, a bad aunt and sister. I asked my friend, who suggested they sell the cars and other luxury items they bought to afford the surgery. He warned me that if I gave them money, I would never get it back and might not get into medical school.

Redditor u/GiGiGi3:

I am a single mother in my 50s with one daughter. I was lucky enough to buy a home in the Bay Area nearly 30 years ago for about $230K before the tech boom. Now, the house is worth about $1M.

I have a 23-year-old daughter, Camila. She grew up in that house and moved out last year to live with her boyfriend. I never told my daughter, "The house will be yours," nor did she ask about it. Common sense dictates that it is my daughter. Who else would I give it to?

Two homes in the neighborhood belong to lower middle-class people, including me and a neighbor who has lived here as long as I have. Other neighbors are engineers and software developers. The Bay Area costs too much if you aren't in tech. My daughter works as a hair stylist.

My fiancé Steven and I have two years together. He has two young children in elementary school; he shares custody, and I love them and want to help raise them. Steven and I lack much money, so a pre-nup seemed pointless except for the house. I told him I am ready to merge finances and plan long-term. I wanted a pre-nup just for the house. My daughter must inherit the house; this is non-negotiable for me. Steven disagreed, stating that a $1 million split among the three kids gives everyone a start. I disagree. I paid eighty percent of the mortgage myself, and Camila is my only child. She can have her dream life—working as a hair stylist in the Bay Area—with this house, but she will be unhappy if it splits and forces her to move to a less desirable area.

I spoke with Camila about this. She agrees she should get the house and said she always planned to inherit it, just as I always planned to give it to her.

From Redditor u/throwaway-929300:

I (F19) have an estranged grandpa. He is my dad’s father, but my dad barely knew him. I have two other siblings: one younger, thirteen, and one older, twenty-six. My grandma divorced my grandpa when my dad was ten, so he lived with my grandma his whole life in another state and never saw him.

As he got older, he saw him more, and my grandpa started visiting more often, staying for a week then returning home. He was an old, bitter man, honestly. He never remarried and lived his whole life in his coastal town with the same friends he had always had.

He was not pleasant to be around and held grudges longer than anyone I have met. Still, he was very wealthy. He owned a successful business that he sold for $1 million. He retired after the sale, and his house sits on an island, which is the largest piece of land on the island. So, it sold for over $3 million.

I was never close with my grandpa, but I resembled his sister, who is an RN, and he adored her. He always told me he was proud to see me follow in her footsteps.

He died months ago. My family splits now. He left everything to me. He sold off all his assets. The total reached nearly eight million dollars. I was shocked. I do not know what to do with the money, but I will save it.

My dad, stepmom, and siblings pressure me to split the money. I cannot do it.

My dad is an alcoholic. He never spoke kindly of his dad. Despite his bitterness, my grandpa bought my dad a $300,000 house. My dad always wasted any money given to him.

My brother gets full financial support from my grandma because he is the favorite. He wastes money and is ungrateful. He never talks to me and is always mean.

My little sister is the only person I consider. She is very young; that stops me. Her mother wants the money. She would take it. I will wait until she turns eighteen. Then I will pay for her college.

Now my family says I am unfair. They claim the money is not mine and I don't deserve it. They say I am too young and will waste it on cars and clothes.

I disagree. Now they threaten to cut me off. They might sue if I do not give them some money. I do not know what to do. Pressure is crushing me. Two police officers visited my house. My dad claims I stole the money. I used an attorney. I did nothing wrong legally. Morally? I don't know. AITA?

From Redditor u/ThrowAwayz201301:

My 42-year-old niece (17F) told me she is a lesbian. I supported her and told her I would be there. That is standard ally behavior.

She told me she plans to come out to the world this week. I told her to wait until her grandparents (my parents) die. My father is very wealthy, holding tens of millions in assets he will pass down.

My father is a homophobe. He stated any gay person in our family would be removed from the will. To prevent splitting the inheritance with that relative, they will donate that portion to charities. That money will be removed from the inheritance.

My parents have terrible health. My father has stage 4 cancer. My mother has debilitating dementia. I told my niece to stay in the closet longer. If she comes out as a lesbian and they find out, she loses seven million dollars.

She was sad but thankful. That money is life-changing; it lets her live luxuriously until she dies.

My wife called me an asshole. I tell this girl to hide who she is just to please old bigots. That is true; I ask her to appease old bigots. But I think her life improves with seven million dollars, costing her one or two years in the closet at most.

I saw my father's will. I know who gets what. My niece will get seven million unless my father changes his will.

Am I an asshole for telling my niece to hide so she can become a millionaire?

From Redditor u/Appropriate_Rock3187:

I (25m) face a conflict of morals and duties; I need an outside view. My parents died when I was thirteen. My paternal grandparents raised me. This was easy because they lived nearby while my parents visited. I am my grandparents' only grandchild. My aunt (43f) has no children, so they left me their house after they passed. The house is worth about $500,000. This lowballs the estimate. It is fully paid off. I have a good start in life, though I could never picture selling it.

A man (38m), "John," approached me recently. He claimed to be my grandfather's son and wanted a DNA test to confirm it. I was shocked. I did not believe him. I told him to leave because that would mean my grandfather cheated on my grandmother. He also contacted my aunt, who recognized him as the neighbor's kid who moved away years ago. My grandparents were friends with his parents, but one day they fought hard, and the couple moved away.

John said his mom had an affair with my grandfather. When the husband found out, he divorced his mom, and they had to sell the house. John claimed his mom's husband wanted nothing to do with him since he was unsure if he was the father, and he abandoned him. Years later, John found him. After a DNA test confirmed he was not the father, John's mom admitted the only other option was my grandfather. John's mom insisted her ex was the father for years.

My aunt lives abroad. John asks me to take a DNA test so he can find out his father. I agreed until my girlfriend (26f) raised the house ownership issue. I checked quickly. If the DNA test shows John is my grandfather's son, he might sue for part of the estate. If necessary, I would sell my home. I cannot buy out even one-third of the share if John demands it.

I told John I would do a DNA test, but only if he signed away all rights to the house if tests proved he was my grandfather's son, based on paperwork my lawyer(s) would draft. John didn't reply for days. Then, his wife called, angry, calling me greedy and selfish. I could not know the pain of not knowing my father or that my grandfather owes John. I hung up and hired a lawyer. John must show enough evidence to create doubt; he has little case, especially since the possible father is dead.

I accept not giving John what he wants until he waives his rights, and my aunt won't either. His wife now stalks me on social media and posts things about me. AITA?

From Redditor u/gruyerech:

My mother died when I was sixteen. My dad married another woman two years later. My grandparents, my dad's parents, hate my stepmother. I dislike her too. Even after my half-siblings arrived, my grandparents never liked her.

My grandparents are rich. My father banked on this inheritance for some time. He even stopped paying his retirement because he was certain he would inherit the millions.

I just learned Saturday I get most of my grandparents' estate. My father gets a small $50,000 so he can't argue. My grandparents told me not to spend any money afterward, and I plan to keep my promise. Still, I feel guilty because my father spends the money as it comes, relying on funds he won't get.

I also discovered my dad has a lot of debt.

AITA for not telling him?

From Redditor u/mozzaboy256:

My dad owns a pizza place my grandfather passed down. I worked at the pizza place my whole life, even part-time while getting a business degree.

Early last year, I found out my dad willed the restaurant to my stepmom. He said she needed care after he died. It would go to me after she passed. I got angry and quit the next day. My dad hired two people to cover the work I did.

This is the potential 'sshole part.' A month after I quit, I found a great spot where another pizza place closed. I bought it and opened it in two months. My restaurant sells takeout only, but the business is doing very well.

My dad contacted me last September. He said his restaurant was losing business because of me and asked me to return to the family business. He offered to buy my business so I could gain something.

I refused the offer. Then the 2020 chaos hit. Because my restaurant was set up for takeout, I only saw a 5-10% revenue drop. The family restaurant, however, is failing.

People argue about me ruining my dad's family's finances.

AITA?

From Redditor u/GeorgeMcMinty:

I (24) got pregnant during a gap year trip. I met an older guy; nothing bad happened. I was 19; he was 23. We had fun. I worked in a bar to earn money while I explored his city.

He lost interest fast after I got pregnant. I understood; I am pro-choice and chose not to end it. I went home and had my son. I secured child support; he could pay it. He still fought it. I had to prove paternity.

His parents found out through him. They are wealthy. They met my son and seem to love him. They gave gifts for his birthday and Christmas. They helped me get money to finish university without debt. They took us on a vacation so they could spend time with him. They are not my biggest fans, but we are polite.

Three months ago, my son's father died. He got drunk at his bachelor party, tripped, hit his head. My son and I went to the funeral. We stayed a week in that city so his grandparents could see him.

They offered me something. They had no other kids or grandkids. Their son was only 28, so he had time to provide them legal children (I assume this, they didn't say it) so they never considered my son's name.

They offered to make him their main heir if I legally changed his last name to theirs. I think this is stupid. He is their only grandchild, and they would deny him an inheritance because of his name?

I said I would think about it to be polite and left it there. I have a good life as it is. My family supports me. Because of the court case, my son's father had to name me as the life insurance beneficiary. Would it be nice for my kid to get a large sum of money? Yes. Do I want him to have the name of a man who didn't want him, see him, or love him? No.

I talk to my family about it. Some think I am an a-hole for giving up that money for my son. It is generational wealth, and I decide based on feeling. They are a-holes for thinking money is the only thing that matters.

I think I will tell my son's grandparents they can discuss it with him at sixteen. He will be old enough to grasp the meaning but young enough not to be tied to his last name professionally.

From Redditor u/steppenwolf0007:

My late mother-in-law had two grandchildren: Elise (22F) and Rea (21F). She favored Elise because Elise wanted to copy her path. She spent much more time with Elise, teaching her her job and using her contacts to place her in that field. When she entered care, she had to split her assets to cover costs. She favored Elise again, giving her the tools and some land for greenhouses alone.

She died about a year ago. We received mail about a trust she created a decade ago. It holds about $30,000. The trust says it splits equally between her grandchildren. It only fully distributes when the youngest turns 21. My daughters, Elise and Rea, are the only grandchildren, and Rea just turned 21.

We asked. Elise alone can withdraw money from this trust. She wrote a clause: anyone with a child before the minimum age inherits automatically fail. If a grandchild has a baby before age 21, they get zero dollars. Their share goes to the other heirs.

Rea has a two-year-old son. Elise has no children. So, by the terms, Elise gets 100%. I am angry. My wife wants to drop it and ignore the trust's existence, just like the land. I will not. My mother-in-law never treated Rea like a real grandchild. She never spent real time with her or gave her the same chances. When she made this trust, Elise had already had a hysterectomy. She set it up so only Rea could "fail" and get an excuse for one last attempt.

I accepted the land because it affected Elise's career, and there were things Elise cared about maintaining. But this is too much. I think Elise must do the right thing and split this with her sister. Elise thinks we should not fight the will, and my wife wants to "stay neutral".

From Redditor u/Spiritual_Alps3413:

My husband (32F) died this year. My children (6F, 3M) and I inherited his entire estate, worth nearly a million dollars. When he was in high school, my husband had a child (16F) with his girlfriend. He ended things when he learned she was pregnant, saying he was not ready to be a father yet. He visited her maybe once every few years while he lived.

My stepdaughter and her mother are very poor. They have struggled financially since my husband died because they no longer get child support. They struggle to pay rent and face eviction.

My stepdaughter asked me for her inheritance share. I feel bad for her. However, my husband's will clearly states his estate goes to me and my children only. I barely know my stepdaughter. I do not think I should care for her. She is furious, calling me a heartless gold digger. She claims giving her money is the least I could do for years of neglect. AITA?

From Redditor u/Slight_Book5066:

I seek advice on Reddit. I feel I made a mistake. I, a 21-year-old female, have two full siblings: Michael (23M) and Damien (25M). We have a half-sister, Elsie (18F), from an affair.

Our mother is terminally ill; doctors say she has little time left. She called us to discuss her will and what we would receive. My mother was a banker; she built a large portfolio. After Elsie was born, her mother became inactive. She let Elsie move in and live with us. I always sensed my mom held resentment toward Elsie. Mom could not leave after the affair and regrets it daily. Mom raised Elsie like her own for a long time. Elsie was always snarky, saying, "but you're not my real mom," usually when Mom disciplined her. But Elsie became sweet toward Mom when she needed expensive things. I avoided Elsie because I felt she ruined our perfect family.

Mom read her will on her bed. Mom owns a beautiful emerald necklace, a family heirloom. Mom looked at Elsie and told her she could keep it. I started crying right away. This made no sense; Elsie is not fully part of our family; she and Mom share no blood. I screamed and yelled at Elsie. I told her I wished she never entered our lives and should leave because no one wanted her here. Damien tried to calm me, reminding me we were in a hospital. Michael left with Elsie to stop the argument. I saw Mom cry, which hurt, but she hurt me more. I took my bag and left. Three days later, I received nonstop messages from extended family saying I hurt Mom and she meant no harm. AITA?

From Redditor u/Bitter_Research2372:

Yesterday, my parents sat my two brothers (32M, 34M) and my sister (41F) down to discuss the will. My parents said they want to split it five ways. My sister gets two-fifths; the three of us brothers each get one-fifth. Their reason is that my sister 'sacrificed' her childhood for our family, so it is fair she gets compensation.

My father's business partner cheated him, leaving us broke and in debt during childhood. My parents worked multiple jobs to stay afloat. My sister babysat while my parents worked, feeding us and watching over us. We played games and did homework. This was not thrilling, but not a huge hardship.

I told my parents and brothers it was insane they wanted my sister to get two-fifths of the inheritance. She is financially best off among us. She has no kids and earns dual income with her partner.

My parents expressed disappointment in us. They told us to reflect. My sister said nothing while my parents spoke. Afterward, she texted us stating she had no plan to take two-fifths, but we were all assholes.

Am I the asshole for feeling this split is unfair?