Has friend got any rights over family home?

camforuman

Hi There Folks,

I am enquiring on behalf of a friend. We live in N Ireland where it’s customary for a parent to pass farm home and farm onto son, leaving any daughters to more or less fend for themselves i.e. it is usually assumed that they will marry and will be able to set up a home of their own with husband. By sticking with this tradition the parents sees it as the farm and home are staying in the family name, thereby keeping the holding and preserving a long tradition.

Friend is a single mum in her late 30's with a daughter and has lived in the family home all her life just her mother living there, who is to put it mildly a bit of a battleaxe, so many fights with her, and also grandchild over such things as what TV channel to watch. etc

It is my understanding that the family home has already been willed to the son by the older lady. The son of the old lady appears for a little while every night to do a few chores as does his wife, who it seems is well aware of her future inheritance and when she gains her husbands inheritance my friend is worried that the wife will put pressure on her husband to evict my friend and her daughter, probably hints done in a subtle fashion at first but as their 2 kids get older, then my friends sister in law will use all her power to make sure that home is available for her own family.

I wonder does my friend have any rights in this issue. She is not interested atall in any of the land, all she wants to make sure is that she has a roof over her and daughters head. As regards the future could she simply be put on the street, because the home would now belong to her brother and his wife? It is clear that there is no point in my friend discussing this with her Mother as she had made up her mind what she wants done.

Many thanks for any advice offered.

leftieM

I know nothing about the law on this matter but your friend should seek legal advice asap!