Suicide Inheritance - no will

Turmoilat37

Hi, I'm not sure if anybody has any advice on the following scenario.

My mum's brother sadly committed suicide last year. He left no will. He had a fair few assets, pensions and also had significant stakes in an office building and his own company.

He had three sisters, one of which is my mum. It is taking some time to sort his estate out as it's rather complex but each sister looks to be inheriting at least £750, 000 each.
My mum has kept this secret from us and has not gifted or shared the money. We knew that some inheritance was due but didn't know how much. Se has never discussed it with us. We know this information from our cousins, my mum's sister's children, who have been kept in the loop and we believe are recipients of money.

We are, or thought we were, on good terms with our parents. We see them often and help as needed. There is no estrangement or bad relationships. We also had our own direct relationship with the deceased uncle.

My sister was made redundant last year and is struggling financially. I have a serious health condition and am disabled and reliant on benefits. Do we just need to accept that our mum does not wish to share the inheritance or would we have grounds to contest it?

TonyMMM

Under the intestacy laws, if he wasn't married and had no children of his own, and his parents are dead, then his sisters inherit equal shares, what they choose to do with it, and if they choose to pass it on, is their choice.

Maybe your mother is waiting for the estate to be finalised before making any decision about her share, but you have no automatic entitlement to any part.

lulu650

I can see no grounds for you to contest an inheritance going to your mother.

£750,000 is a lot of money and any money passed onto you and your sister from your mother could likely mean that benefits to you both would stop. Were you aware of that?

Turmoilat37

@tonyMMM - thanks, I suspected as much. I think she's keeping it to live a comfortable retirement. As you point out it's her choice what she does with it.

Turmoilat37

@lulu650 - I'm very aware of the benefits rules. I had hoped that perhaps the inheritance money could be my opportunity to get off benefits and regain some sort of financial independence. The behaviour is a little strange as my parents are set up for life already with owned property and private pensions. It looks like I'm destined to live out a very different life!!

Cheeky_Monkey

Turmoilat37 wrote: »

Hi, I'm not sure if anybody has any advice on the following scenario.

My mum's brother sadly committed suicide last year. He left no will. He had a fair few assets, pensions and also had significant stakes in an office building and his own company.

He had three sisters, one of which is my mum. It is taking some time to sort his estate out as it's rather complex but each sister looks to be inheriting at least £750, 000 each.
My mum has kept this secret from us and has not gifted or shared the money. We knew that some inheritance was due but didn't know how much. Se has never discussed it with us. We know this information from our cousins, my mum's sister's children, who have been kept in the loop and we believe are recipients of money.

We are, or thought we were, on good terms with our parents. We see them often and help as needed. There is no estrangement or bad relationships. We also had our own direct relationship with the deceased uncle.

My sister was made redundant last year and is struggling financially. I have a serious health condition and am disabled and reliant on benefits. Do we just need to accept that our mum does not wish to share the inheritance or would we have grounds to contest it?

It looks to me as if the inheritance hasn't actually been paid out yet. If that's the case, I think you're jumping the gun.

If it has been paid out, then there's nothing you can do about your mum's apparent greed.

Dox

Turmoilat37 wrote: »

He had three sisters, one of which is my mum. It is taking some time to sort his estate out as it's rather complex but each sister looks to be inheriting at least £750, 000 each.

My mum has kept this secret from us and has not gifted or shared the money. We knew that some inheritance was due but didn't know how much. Se has never discussed it with us.

She can't gift or share money she hasn't yet received if the estate is still being sorted out. Why would she discuss it now and possibly raise false hopes about the amount due? Just because a few blabbermouth relations have been feeding you info (which may be completely incorrect, depending on any debts due/tax payable) doesn't mean your mother has no plans to help you and your sister financially; she may, very wisely, be waiting until she knows the final outcome.

At some point you need to have a discussion with her - but probably not for some months yet.

Turmoilat37

@Dox The first sums of money have already come in. She's already received £300, 000. It's his shares in the office/business which are more complex to sort out.

She has already started to book expensive holidays and spend the money - this is why I'm not sure she plans to distribute any of the money. As has already been pointed it, it's her money. It does seem greedy, but greed isn't illegal!

Brynsam

Turmoilat37 wrote: »

@Dox The first sums of money have already come in. She's already received £300, 000. It's his shares in the office/business which are more complex to sort out.

She has already started to book expensive holidays and spend the money - this is why I'm not sure she plans to distribute any of the money. As has already been pointed it, it's her money. It does seem greedy, but greed isn't illegal!

Your mother recently lost her only brother, who was so unhappy he took his own life. Ever thought that grief might be taking its toll on her, even if she didn't appear to have been particularly close to her late brother?

You don't actually know direct from her how much money she has received - just hearsay from cousins who might actually be enjoying winding you up. Ever considered that as a possibility? People do sometimes behave very oddly, especially after a death and when there is cash involved.

If you are on good terms with your parents, then it is hard to see why she wouldn't wish to share some of the cash, but may simply feel it is 'too soon' for her brother's death to provide what you describe as 'an opportunity'.

Emotions aren't always a basis for logical decisions, especially in the wake of a suicide.

PasturesNew

As has been said, without children of his own and with his parents dead, all his full blood siblings would inherit equal amounts. Not their children, not anybody else. Just his siblings.

You .... will have to wait and see if scraps are passed your way.

That's the way it is; that's the law.... and you do seem a bit "money grabbing" to be assuming that you're being shafted over "your money" as you have nothing coming to you from his demise.

Maybe your mother is grieving ... and only once the estate's settled will she feel able to share the information with you as she's a bit beside herself right now.

You've "only" lost an uncle - she's lost a brother, a connection to her deceased parents; she's got a gazillion childhood memories of him and her parents etc going through her mind....

It's not personal.... she's grieving and wants to wait until it's all settled before she can voice the words and know "what's what".

gettingtheresometime

Cheeky_Monkey wrote: »

If it has been paid out, then there's nothing you can do about your mum's apparent greed.

I so disagree with your comments I don't know where to begin.


Yes if I had been the mum I MIGHT gift my son some but that's only a MIGHT not a would. It would have nothing to do my son what I did with it.


Sometimes you read threads that make you go wow and unfortunately this is one of those.