There is probably nothing worse than losing your loved ones. Time to grieve and support from close people are really important. However, one of the worst things that may happen is some people trying to benefit from the tragedy.
I am sure you have seen in films, read or heard stories that some people marry the rich (in many cases - old ones) and then just wait till they pass away. And then, basically, they inherit a lot of money, maybe real estate, maybe everything that they had. And that kind of turns into a business plan.
More info: Reddit
Losing a loved one is the worst thing that can happen, especially at a young age
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Man shares that he had been living together with his girlfriend in an apartment that was fully furnished
Image credits: u/Fluffy_Square_5471
Image credits: eduard (not the actual photo)
They bought some things together, but most of them were still paid for by the man
Image credits: u/Fluffy_Square_5471
Image credits: Andrew Neel (not the actual photo)
However, after his girlfriend’s death, her family wants to take all his belongings, not even half of what he co-owned with her
Image credits: u/Fluffy_Square_5471
He asks online what he should do in this situation, as his late girlfriend’s parents are terrible people who just treat this situation as a way to get paid
Recently, one Reddit user shared his story to one of its communities asking members for legal advice. He shares that his girlfriend has died and now her family wants to claim all of his possessions. The post received a lot of attention and in 7 days it collected more than 12.2K upvotes and 80 comments.
The author starts his story by saying that he had been living with his girlfriend for 2 years, the flat was already fully furnished, they just bought some small appliances since she moved in, but still in many cases, he was the only one actually paying. Unfortunately, his girlfriend passed away and now her family wants to claim all of his possessions. Well, they started by saying that they are entitled to half of the things as his girlfriend co-owned them.
However, now the OP states that they seek to take everything. For context, he adds that they are in general bad people that have addictions, do not work and just want to benefit from this tragic loss. He shares that he can’t really afford a lawyer and is lost in this situation. Later OP emphasized that summarizing folks’ responses, he decided to block them and move on with his life.
Redditors were kindly sharing their suggestions and support for the author. “If at all possible, change the locks. You don't want to take the chance they got a copy of her keys,” one user wrote. “Sorry for your loss. I know how painful this can be. I'm not a lawyer, but blow these people off, lock them and stop communication. It's a shame how some people behave in the loss of a loved one,” another added.
Image credits: Gabriel Bastelli (not the actual photo)
Moreover, reading folks’ comments, it is clear that more than a couple of them have been in a similar situation. According to Joshua Coombe, who is a partner and family law solicitor at Tees and an expert in the legal rights of unmarried couples when a couple lives together before marriage (or civil partnership), it’s called cohabiting.
Therefore, unmarried cohabiting couples do not automatically inherit when their partner passes away without leaving a will. The beneficiaries of a person's inheritance are determined by the laws known as the "intestacy rules" when they pass away without leaving a will. Intestacy laws do not benefit unmarried partners.
Moreover, Backhouse Solicitors state that when a person dies without children, their inheritance is distributed to their parents, siblings, half-siblings, grandparents, and eventually ever-more distant relatives. However, as the author wrote, he was mostly the owner of most of the things that they bought together, therefore there is no legal way that the deceased girlfriend’s family can take everything that he owned that was not shared.
So, to sum up everything, it’s terrible how a family may try to benefit from a person's death and try to take everything from their partner. But what do you guys think about this story? Maybe you have been in a similar situation and how did you deal with it?
Redditors shared their suggestions to help the author
