Should i share my inheritance

Should I go against my granny's wishes? What's the best way to prevent family inheritance disputes? Set up a trust fund Does your brother have children? If so you could use an appropriate share of the money to set up trust funds for them.

If he does not have children you could still set aside money for any future offspring or for a time when he may not be so well off. Lynda Hutchinson, London. Family come before dollars and dimes Your gran has left everything to you, for whatever reason. How you choose to use it expensive cars, holidays, pay off debt, or share with other family members is entirely up to you - she decided at some point that she was happy for you to have it, and must therefore have been happy in her own mind that however you use it is fine with her.

You are clearly worried about how this may affect your relationship with your brother. I would imagine whatever your gran left you she would have hoped would be for the better than for the worse. So if this is going to cause problems just offer a fair share to your brother and make peace with him.

Family is more important than dollars and dimes. Matt Wright, Enfield. You probably shouldn't go against your grandmother's wishes. She had her reasons for leaving all the money to you but no-one will ever know them now. Why not just accept the will as it stands and get your brother a rather extravagant Christmas present with a good portion of it.

That way there should be no hard feelings later on. Share it Your grandmother was probably influenced by your current circumstances and perhaps was not thinking of the long-term implications of apparent favouritism between siblings.

Being poor and a student isn't for life, but your relationship with your brother is. Although he, to his credit, has made no comment, your life-long relationship with your brother would only be strengthened by your generosity. Jean Martin, Fife. Halve it Granny no longer owns the money, so it's up to you to decide what to do with it.

I'd give half of it to your brother. Frank Welsh, by email. Gran's dead and gone I also am one of two children. My father recently died, leaving everything to my younger brother who is much better off than I am and his children.

My family and I received nothing and my brother has never spoken to me since. I was bitterly hurt because it demonstrated how little my father and brother must really have cared. Your brother, even though he is richer than you are, will probably be feeling the same.

Show him that you care for him and want to treat him fairly. Send him a cheque and explain that you think it was unjust of your grandmother to act as she did, even though she probably did it because he's richer than you. He may well tear up the cheque. Even if he does cash it, you haven't lost anything - you've gained half of her estate. Continue reading your article with a WSJ membership.

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Your Legal Team. Advice for Heirs. Retirement Planning Estate Planning. Table of Contents Expand. When to Assign Equal Amounts. When to Assign Different Amounts. Could a Child Sue for More? How to Protect Your Wishes. The Bottom Line. Key Takeaways Divvying up your estate in an equal way between your children often makes sense, especially when their histories and circumstances are similar. Equal distribution can also avoid family conflict over fairness or favoritism.

Equal distribution, however, may not actually be equitable distribution, especially when some children have been favored financially in the past over others, or some are in tougher financial straits.

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