Disinheritance due to Lottery win

Gavin83

GenieBoy said:

Mojisola said:

GenieBoy said:

Since winning the SFL Lottery last year I've recently learnt that I'm going to be disinherited from my Grandparent's Will with my share apparently going to my sister along with her current share.

Is it fair?

Originally 50% was going to my Uncle and me and my sister getting 25% each of the other 50%.

Perhaps your grandparent would reinstate your equal share of their estate if you give your sister half of your lottery win.

Now this just feels like a kick in the teeth and maybe I should stop the gifts and only pay the market rate for the property share.

Why is there an expectation for you to treat your sister? How you spend your money is up to you in the same way how your grandparents spend their money is up to them.

It’s also not at all uncommon for people who win lots of money to fall out with friends and family because of it. Maybe you’ll be one of those people.

There’s also a number of lottery winners who say the win was the worst thing that ever happened to them. Hopefully you won’t be one of those people.

GenieBoy

Also I wasn't to be told about this and I'm only meant to find out after the event but the executor thought it was only right that I was told. Although the Grandparent doesn't know that I know.

msb1234

GenieBoy said:

Also I wasn't to be told about this and I'm only meant to find out after the event but the executor thought it was only right that I was told. Although the Grandparent doesn't know that I know.

Who’s the executor? The will is a private document, and the executor should not have shared its contents with you without the permission of the testator. They have shown themselves to be untrustworthy!

bobster2

GenieBoy said:

Since winning the SFL Lottery last year I've recently learnt that I'm going to be disinherited from my Grandparent's Will with my share apparently going to my sister along with her current share.

Is this normal practice? Is it fair?

Originally 50% was going to my Uncle and me and my sister getting 25% each of the other 50%. The estate is probably worth approx £230K.

Just looking for thoughts really.

So you have won £10,000 per month for 30 years (£3.6 million) and you are moaning about missing out on £57,000??

I'm speechless really.

Marmaduke123

Are you sure the executor wasn't winding you up, knowing what your reaction would be? He certainly shouldn't have told you anything at all about the will.

It may not even be true, and hopefully your grandfather will have many years still ahead of him and many opportunities to change his will in whatever way he wishes.

getmore4less

GenieBoy said:

Mojisola said:

GenieBoy said:

Since winning the SFL Lottery last year I've recently learnt that I'm going to be disinherited from my Grandparent's Will with my share apparently going to my sister along with her current share.

Is it fair?

Originally 50% was going to my Uncle and me and my sister getting 25% each of the other 50%.

Perhaps your grandparent would reinstate your equal share of their estate if you give your sister half of your lottery win.

WOW This is one of the reasons why I so love the MSE forum. No one said there is family feud and I did say I was only asking for thoughts. I am not angry or ready to contest the Will.

I already have helped my sister and I'm buying out her equity in a property for far more than what it would be worth on the open market. And still expected to help her out and treat her in the coming future.

I also spent a large sum on the Grandparent at Xmas, way way more than I would ever have had due to income etc.

Now this just feels like a kick in the teeth and maybe I should stop the gifts and only pay the market rate for the property share.

I hope you are keeping track of these gifts as they will be classed as PETs.

Sea_Shell

bobster2 said:

GenieBoy said:

Since winning the SFL Lottery last year I've recently learnt that I'm going to be disinherited from my Grandparent's Will with my share apparently going to my sister along with her current share.

Is this normal practice? Is it fair?

Originally 50% was going to my Uncle and me and my sister getting 25% each of the other 50%. The estate is probably worth approx £230K.

Just looking for thoughts really.

So you have won £10,000 per month for 30 years (£3.6 million) and you are moaning about missing out on £57,000??

I'm speechless really.

I don't think the OP is "moaning" about the inheritance so much in £££ terms, but more about the feeling of being left out just because they now have money.

Whether the OP won £50k or £3m, is largely irrelevant as to how it can make you feel within the family, and your "worth" within the family.

Being made to feel like you don't matter any more isn't nice. 

It doesn't sound like the OP is greedy with their win either, and may even have chosen, when the time comes, to do a Deed of Variation of the GF's will, to pass it on to whoever...but he's no longer being given that option.  


Oh, and I agree that the OP needs to start keeping meticulous records around gifts and their estate in general, as it grows, and becomes more complicated.   Multiple properties, multiple accounts, shares, other assets etc etc.

Pollycat

GenieBoy said:

Mojisola said:

GenieBoy said:

Since winning the SFL Lottery last year I've recently learnt that I'm going to be disinherited from my Grandparent's Will with my share apparently going to my sister along with her current share.

Is it fair?

Originally 50% was going to my Uncle and me and my sister getting 25% each of the other 50%.

Perhaps your grandparent would reinstate your equal share of their estate if you give your sister half of your lottery win.

WOW This is one of the reasons why I so love the MSE forum. No one said there is family feud and I did say I was only asking for thoughts. I am not angry or ready to contest the Will.

I already have helped my sister and I'm buying out her equity in a property for far more than what it would be worth on the open market. And still expected to help her out and treat her in the coming future.

I also spent a large sum on the Grandparent at Xmas, way way more than I would ever have had due to income etc.

Now this just feels like a kick in the teeth and maybe I should stop the gifts and only pay the market rate for the property share.

This is the reason why you should share the full facts right at the start.
Instead of drip-feeding and dropping this ^^^ important information that shows you in a better light after you've received criticism.
It makes it sound like you're justifying the reason why you're not happy with your grandfather's will.
TBH, your first post sounds like a Money Moral Dilemma.

It's unreasonable to expect to post on a public forum "asking for thoughts" then complain when you get thoughts based on your sharing of initial information.

I'm glad you're not ready to contest the will.
Because it's only when your grandad dies that the will could be contested.
And that potential £230K may not even exist when that happens.

If I was your grandad I would be furious if I found out that an executor that I'd picked to perform a very important task after my death had divulged the contents of my will to a beneficiary.
I don't know if this is against the law but if it isn't, it should be.

It's really unfortunate that you feel like you've been 'kicked in the teeth'.
One hopes that your SFL lottery win will go some way to console you.

Sea_Shell

It does raise an interesting wider Money Moral Dilemma though, that at what point would (should?) anyone "disinherit" one child (or grandchild) over another, just because of a disparity of wealth between them?

Even if because of more modest amounts?   

What if it's something as simple as one's a homeowner and one's a renter?   

Would you use your will to "level up" as it were, or treat equally, no matter what? 

Spendless

Treating people identically is different to treating people fairly or even equally.

In your case you no longer are in 'need' of 25% of your Grandparent's legacy. It won't make a huge amount of difference to you - money-wise, your sister having 50% instead of 25% could be life changing to her.

I do think it's tough to see what is the 'correct; thing to do when one sibling is wealthier than another. The DJ Chris Evans I recall when his Mum died, him saying that his Mum had split her estate equally between him and his 2 siblings, she saw that she had 3 kids and should treat them all the same. Did Chris 'need' the money - highly unlikely since he's a millionaire, His siblings I believe have 'ordinary' jobs and perhaps splitting the amount left to Chris would have helped them more - who knows, Chris might have also done a DOV to benefit them afterwards. 

Whilst I agree that the Executor shouldn't have said, maybe this was because the Exec realised how you'd feel about it, and would rather you are aware now.

Does your Grandfather not have any personal/sentimental items that he will be leaving in his Will, that you have still been left? That quite often means far more to a person than cash that won't make any difference to their lives.