How would you divide an inheritance?

bebu

Would you give all of your children equal portions--completely regardless of behavior and/or attitude toward you?

Would you take into account anything they have done to deserve something "above and beyond"?

Is a child always entitled to an inheritance? (I don't mean legally, I mean, in your opinion)

Is it love to give an inheritance unconditionally?

Is it love (in a certain form) to withhold or limit an inheritance? If so, under what conditions?

Pick your question(s). I'd like to hear your answers.

bebu

horrible life

Would you give all of your children equal portions--completely regardless of behavior and/or attitude toward you

As a child myself, one of 5 (1 adopted) I wouldn't care if my parents took a match, and burned everything, including the little money they may have left. I want nothing, and expect nothing. Except an end table, that belonged to my grandmother. My younger brother, the pious pustule, is in "charge" of the estate. I can picture getting to the house, and him wanting to "discuss" everything, I can see myself, walking to the table, picking it up, and saying, this is all I want, where do I sign off on this? You all fight over everything else. Have a good life. Bye!!!!! I have been offered the table, now, all I have to do, is go get it. Guess I don't want it bad enough.

I only have 1 child. But I would love my children, no matter what they did. I would have to split everything equally. If one, wanted to sniff everything up their nose, then so be it. But even that child, would know that I loved them. Their attitude toward me? My child loves me, and knows that I would do anything in the world for her. She know in her mind and heart.

My mom? she only has love for herself and Jehovah, and is a very close relative to Satan. So her children's attitude toward her, reflects on hers toward them. So in accordance with her attitude, who wants her $hit.

MissingLink

My parents are hard core JW pricks, but even they have said that their stuff will be split evenly between me (fading JW in good standing as far as they're concerned) and my DF sister that they shun.

serendipity

My mom frequently says she's mad at us because we don't visit her as often as she wants ( she works weird schedules and I can't always drop everything at the last minute to visit.) She's threatened to disinherit us and leave everything to our kids (Fine by me). Oops, guess she forgot I'm the executor of her estate, and she hasn't changed the will. ;-)

I only have one child, so I'm leaving most to her. I'm leaving a bit for my sister (due to need), and smaller amounts for my niece/nephews (to be used for higher education). I'm not leaving anything to my brother because he has plenty-his kids will get his part.

BizzyBee

Interesting - I am currently struglling with these questions for real.

Would you give all of your children equal portions--completely regardless of behavior and/or attitude toward you?

No.

Would you take into account anything they have done to deserve something "above and beyond"?

Yes.

Is a child always entitled to an inheritance? (I don't mean legally, I mean, in your opinion)

No.

Is it love to give an inheritance unconditionally?

No. I don't equate money with love. Money is just a tool and as a tool can be used to build a house or tear one down.

Is it love (in a certain form) to withhold or limit an inheritance? If so, under what conditions?

Yes. If it is likely to be used for destructive or foolish purposes, then it might be an act of love to put limits on it.

Qcmbr

I've always wanted to set my estate up as a trust fund administered by the eldest son ( I know I'm a sexist git ) with the express intent of providing emergency help for the immediate family in times of need.

In reality however, my wife and I seem unable to conceive boys (on my 3rd girl midst several male miscarriages) so that attitude is out the window.
I'm planning on living until I'm 100+ so if the kids are in dire need then hopefully I'd be on hand to help anyway.

The older I get the more I want to play with my money ( or at least see it be used for good .)

So when all is said and done practical considerations and my imminent spending selfishness will probably mean the oldest daughter gets the sentimentals, the middle one gets the TV and the youngest can watch any hired DVDs before she sends them back to Blockbusters.

Finally-Free

No matter what you do you won't please everyone.

When my parents died my sisters and I received equal shares of their estates. That didn't prevent bickering.

Since I don't have kids I'll just leave it all to a friend.

W

horrible life

Finally Free, we really need to get together for a beer, and just hang out.

darkuncle29

Would you give all of your children equal portions--completely regardless of behavior and/or attitude toward you?

I'd be inclined to even skip a generation, say give it to your grandkids if you have them. But maybe protected in a trust for when their older, or yearly withdrawls so it lasts. I might even make up a more complex dividing formula. Say you have three children. One of them has four kids, one has one, and the last has three of their own. What if you took a percentage of the total, and divided that up amongst your kids, and the next percentage took and divided up amongst your grand kids, and if there wer great grand kids the same, but each succsessive percentage would have less of a payout.

Would you take into account anything they have done to deserve something "above and beyond"?

Damn straight, karma's a bitch and so am I. If say from the above example, the parent with three kids was a pain as a teenager and did drugs ans stole cars and just caused alot of grief, maybe they'd only get the same amount as their own kids. Or nothing, but the kids would be "awarded" based on their own merit.

Is a child always entitled to an inheritance? (I don't mean legally, I mean, in your opinion)

No.

Is it love to give an inheritance unconditionally?

No. Would giving a drunk homeless guy a hundred bucks be an act of kindness? He'll likely just use it and continue destroying himself, but then what he does with it is his business, so i could go eitherway with that.

Is it love (in a certain form) to withhold or limit an inheritance? If so, under what conditions?

I think the Buddhists call this "GrandMother's Love", sometimes not giving people what they want and cry for is a more mature act of love.

hubert

If one child grows up to be independent of any help. say they own their own home, (no mortgage), are financially well off, there is no need to share a percentage with that child, but I would tell the child why.

If you have one that you feel will squander the inhertiance and not use it wisely, then a trust fund could be set up for that one. This is being done with one of my sister-in-laws, with her inheritance share from her Mom's will. She's not happy with this, but it's the only way she is able to make it stretch, and get good use out of it. (One of her other sisters has control of her money, and has to account for every penny she gives her, so it's not easy).

The grandkids can also get a little toward college, or a car when they turn eighteen also, or to use however they please.

Hubert

How would you divide an inheritance?

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