It seems that running into a ton of cash is both a blessing and a curse. Whether it’s a lottery, or, in this case, an inheritance, it does have the power to turn an otherwise very normal predicament in life into an absolute mess.
A teen recently found out he had inherited quite a bit of money. This immediately prompted his mother (and by proxy, the step-dad) to start more or less pestering him to share it with his step-siblings. Conflicted, he turned to the Reddit community for some perspective.
Money has never been an easy thing to deal with, especially if you run into some unexpectedly
Image credits: Armin Rimoldi / Pexels (not the actual photo)
A teen recently had to make a decision on whether to share his unexpected inheritance with his step-siblings, making his mother livid
Image credits: Julia M Cameron / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Beginning_Jaguar9693
Image credits: Engin Akyurt / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Needless to say, the mother wasn't the only one upset, so the kid turned to Reddit for some perspective
The story goes that a 17-year-old ran into a bit of unexpected money. It was a trust left to him by his dad, which was actually a combination of what he had inherited from his parents as well as from two uncles. So, you can gather just how much that is.
It didn’t take long for the teen’s mother to start suggesting ideas to share the money. You see, the family isn’t doing well—never was—and this money would help OP’s step-siblings get a degree or a better life.
After consulting with a lawyer and back-and-forths with the parents, the kid decided against sharing the money. You can guess how the mother and the step-father felt about that one.
Folks online looked at the situation critically. For the most part, it was a very strong not the jerk, but many had questions. Mostly, it dealt with how much the dad was actually involved. If he wasn’t (which was not the case), then it’s only fair mom would get some support for raising OP. However, the situation was that the dad only took care of the kid while he was alive—once he was gone, there was only the inheritance, and the mom was now on her own.
Image credits: Towfiqu barbhuiya / Pexels (not the actual photo)
In almost every case, those who inherit are by no means legally obligated to share that inheritance
While every situation can come with its own nuances, in nearly all cases an inheritance is what it is as written and hence it belongs only to the people that it was assigned to.
There are some exceptions, though. With marriage, community property law is one that would legally require property and assets to be shared. There’s also the concept of comingling assets, like inheriting money into a shared bank account. However, that is easily avoided by simply not putting the money there.
As for cases with children, there is nothing legally binding that would determine a sharing clause—even more so with step-siblings. Parents do, however, have a duty to financially provide for their kids. Which the dad did. Up until death and even after it, in the form of an inheritance.
Now, it is important to note that the two were never divorced, just separated. In many cases, surviving spouses can’t be completely cut out of a will. Depending on the state, a surviving spouse can get at least one-third of the estate (up to one half), but only if they go to court over it.
The only questionable nuance here is that the dad left OP a trust, and not an inheritance. That adds a layer of complexity that can go in any direction depending on what the court decides. Among other things.
So, what’s your take on this? Do you side with the kid keeping it all, or should he share some of it? Give us your honest opinions in the comment section below! And if you want more inheritance-focused drama, there is definitely more of it.
A number of folks had questions about what the parenting dynamic was, which the teen answered
Across the board, folks in the community didn't see the kid's fault in this
