r/inheritance

Edit: Thank you everyone! I do have the trust and it says their money will be separated at death and each person will leave theirs to their family. But I don't think it puts any limitations on spending for the surviving partner.

I have never counted their money as mine, but I think since my uncle took the time to draw up the trust, and talked to my cousin about it, he'd be upset regardless of how sweet the scholarship is.

I wish I could get inside her head because I would be gobsmacked if she had any ill intentions. I'm pretty sure she's just heartbroken, and the scholarship is her grasp at healing. But it seems weird how strongly she specified that it was his money that went into the scholarship, regardless of the fact that it came from the same account.

Location: California

Before he died, my uncle created a trust with his wife. They both had a significant amount of money, and he wanted his money to be split between his nieces and nephews. The trust is very specific.

My aunt recently created a scholarship in my uncle's memory. It's a lovely move, but she used my all of my uncles money, and none of her own, to do so.

Does this fly? Does it render the trust obsolete?

One is my cousins is struggling. He's got severe disabilities and before he died my uncle told him he could depend on some help for retirement.

I'm not sure any of us would contest this, but I'm just curious as to the legality of it? And am I overreacting to think this is a little bit thoughtless?

Hello all. Looking for advice. Let me start by stating the facts.
My father passed away in 2016. My grandma pulled my aunt and I aside and explained that since my dad was gone, she wanted their assets to be split between my aunt and me when they passed (verbal only).
Married in 2017
My grandma passed away in 2019
My grandpa passed away in December 2022
My grandparents did not change their will so it still stated that assets would be split 50/50 between my aunt and my dad
My grandpa's investment accounts and retirement accounts listed my aunt and dad as beneficiaries.
My aunt was the executor of my grandpa's will
The retirement accounts and investment accounts all moves to my aunt's name at the time of my grandpa's death
My aunt and I worked with the financial planner responsible for the accounts to split them 50/50 and put half under my name in February 2023
The accounts have remained in my name only
They have certainly grown since then and I understand that the amount of growth is considered marital assets and I agree it is absolutely fair to split the growth

Now that I am getting divorced, my wife is questioning the validity of my inheritance and demanding half of the full amount if I can't prove that it is an inheritance. I have asked my aunt for a copy of the will which she will send me on the 12th. I have asked the financial planner for any communications and statements that he might have which he will send me tomorrow. I am also speaking with my divorce attorney for his opinion/recommendation on the 8th.

What is the best way to prove it to her and her lawyer and protect my assets?

Thank you for reading.

Aunt (Mass. resident) passed in 2022. No spouse, no children. She was predeceased by her parents, younger brother, then younger sister. She was survived by 7 nieces/nephews. No will, no assets, nothing to probabte.

In 2025, oldest survivor, nephew, passed. Then, bonds in aunt's names were found. Nephew, also Mass resident, had no real property; no will, and nothing possessed to have to probate. Nephew had already transferred all financial responsibility for paying bills to his only so.

Treasury Dept states that only blood relatives can make a claim to the unclaimed bonds. Does deceased nephew forfeit his share (he would have received it if he lived), or does it go to his widow or his son, or 50-50 to both?

I have tried to wade through Mass. law, but I'm overwhelmed.

Inheritance amount is ~$1,000. Interest is about $700, principal on bond ~ $300. Tax liability is on interest, which could impact recipient.

I'm stuck trying to figure out if nephew is still entitled to portion of bonds; he was alive when aunt died, but is now deceased after bonds were found and can be processed. If proceeds go to nephew's survivors, IN MASSACHUSETTS, who do they go to ? Spouse? Child? or 50-50. I just want to do what's right.

Thank you.

EDIT TO BODY OF POST: Sorry for not anticipating your questions. Total of Bonds is just under $7K (USD), so less than $1K per niece/nephew if redemption value of bonds was distributed to each when aunt died. So, nephew who passed would have received just under $1K.

Nephew's son is 40 (42?). An adult, who handled his father's financial responsibilities for the last few months (years?) of his life. He had signing authority on the bank account to pay all household bills and such. Nephew and widow rented, owned no property. Anything that could have been disputed by the state was already transferred/dealt with so as to avoid probate. Nephew knew he was going to pass (cancer, brain tumor).

I am not sure if there was an "Executor" of the estate. If there was, it would have been the son of the aunt's nephew.

Both aunt and nephew passed intestate. I've read that when that happens, 50% goes to spouse, 50% goes to any descendants of the decedent. I'm stuck because the Treasury papers say only blood relatives can inherit, and spouse is not a blood relative, but had the bonds been processed when the nephew was alive, he would have received the proceeds. If he died the day after the proceeds were distributed, then it would not be my problem. But, that didn't happen.

I just want to do what is right. I'm on a time crunch, too, but given the amount (less than $1K), I don't want to hire an attorney to tell me what to do.

Maybe I should just contact the widow and great nephew and ask them what they want?

Thank you to all who are weighing in and posting. I truly appreciate your time and input.

My dad passed away in 2009 (Ohio) found out in 2025 he has about 16k in a pension still. The issue is the beneficiary is his ex wife. They had been divorced 15 years when he passed. She has since passed as well. They had no children together.
Is there anyway to avoid it going to her children? I will leave it sit and rot before her kids get it honestly.she is not listed in his will as everything was left to us children.

Hi everyone - complicated situation here in Maryland and I’m looking for advice - my father is a widower in his mid-70s and has two children - myself and my brother.

Neither my brother nor myself own a home. My father owns his home outright and it is valued currently at around $500k. I rent a home and my brother lives in a home rent-free associated with his work.

My brother would really like to move closer to his job. My father’s house is closer to his job.

We have begun to discuss scenarios where my brother would move into my father’s house and an accessory dwelling would be built on the same property for my father to move into. This accessory dwelling would cost around $220k and I assume would raise the value of the property.

Questions exist around what my brother should pay for, what my father should pay for, general fairness between my brother and I, as well as insuring my father continues to have financial freedom. We believe my father has about $400k in other assets.

My priorities are my father and being prepared for his potential future expenses, and leaving no messiness or unfairness between my brother and I.

Has anyone had an experience like this or have any creative (or just common sense) ideas about the best way to make this all work for us? They have been talking about three possibilities so far:

1- my brother pays for the dwelling, my father retains ownership of his property, and upon my fathers death, my brother and I split any assets and the appraisal of the property minus the cost of the dwelling and any repairs my brother makes to my fathers house.

2- my brother “buys” my fathers property for $100, my brother pays for the dwelling, and then upon my fathers death, I receive all my fathers remaining assets

3- (this one truly doesn’t make sense to me) my father sells my brother his property for half of current appraisal which goes to me, my father pays for the dwelling, and upon his death my brother and I split remaining assets…which would be considerably lower after the cost of this dwelling.

And maybe there is another superior scenario out there?

I would greatly appreciate additional opinions or experiences!

Edited to add - my brother would like to buy his own home. It’s tough out there right now with rates and limited options. My brother has been looking for the better part of the year and currently has a 2 hr each way commute. This may not change advice, just want to give some credit to my brother.