Let’s be honest: greed can bring out the worst in people. The lust for wealth and everything that comes with it makes folks do strange things, even when family is involved. This can lead to some less-than-ideal situations and plenty of drama.
One person turned to an online community to share how, after inheriting their dad’s entire estate, their entitled siblings are planning to sue them amid claims they “poisoned” their dad against them. Now they’re asking netizens for legal advice.
More info: Reddit
Greed can make people do some nasty things, all in the name of wealth and power
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One person, who inherited their dad’s entire estate after taking care of him up until his last breath, was gobsmacked when their siblings demanded a portion of their inheritance
Image credits: wavebreakmedia_micro / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The person refused, based on the fact that their dad had already given their siblings $150K each as an advance on their inheritance, which they blew on cars and vacations
Image credits: Drazen Zigic / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Furious, the siblings have been blowing up the person’s phone, accusing them of turning their dad against them, and threatening to sue for “undue influence”
Image credits: fluffyspanish
The siblings have said they’ll drop the lawsuit for $100K each, but the person told them they’ll see them in court, before turning to netizens to ask if that’d be a jerk move
When their father passed away, the original poster (OP) thought the hardest part would be the grieving. Instead, the real drama began at the reading of the will. The dad had left his entire estate to OP, clearly disinheriting their two siblings, Mark and Jenna. Turns out, 10 years back, Mark and Jenna each got $150k as an advance inheritance.
Rather than use it to start businesses (like they promised) they treated it like a winning lottery ticket, wasting everything on vacations, cars, and lifestyle upgrades. When their dad refused to give them even more, the siblings retaliated by cutting him off and bad-mouthing him to the whole family, claiming he was “hoarding their money.”
Meanwhile, OP became the only one who ever showed up. They handled doctor’s appointments, finances, hospice visits, the whole unglamorous reality of caregiving. The will was drawn up by a longtime attorney friend and included a clause stating the siblings already received their share. Iron-clad. Crystal clear. Still, Mark and Jenna erupted like a vending machine had eaten their last dollar.
Now the siblings have lawyered up, accusing OP of using “undue influence” and demanding $100k each to make the problem disappear. OP has point-blank refused. Sure, the legal battle may cost a lot, but when someone disrespects a parent then demands a payout, beating them in the court they dragged you into would be pretty much priceless.
Image credits: namii9 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
From what OP tells us in their post, they’re not only dealing with entitled family members, but greedy ones too. What’s the best way to deal with an inheritance dispute, though? And do Mark and Jenna even have a case? We went digging for answers.
According to the pros over at DIY Investor, family feuds over inheritance are on the rise, with the final quarter of 2024 seeing an all-time high in quarterly applications to block probate (translation: contest a will) in England & Wales.
The legal eagles from Giambrone Law say resolving a family inheritance dispute through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) like mediation or arbitration is often a more cost-effective solution compared to a court case, and less drama for everyone involved. Maybe OP can investigate those options if it’s going to save them money.
Now, just because OP’s been served with papers doesn’t mean Mark and Jenna have an actual shot. According to Justia, simply persuading a testator (OP’s dad) to write or revise their will in a certain manner doesn’t rise to the level of undue influence. Instead, a court will look for evidence that the influencer (OP) took advantage of the testator. Good luck finding that.
Here’s hoping the sinister siblings get nothing but laughed out of court, because the will sounds like it’s watertight and it seems OP’s integrity can’t possibly be questioned, especially after all they did for their dad in the twilight of his life.
What do you think? Should Mark and Jenna get a slice of the inheritance, or should OP crush them in court? Share your thoughts in the comments!
In the comments, readers seemed to agree that the original poster definitely wasn’t the jerk in the whole mess and speculated on whether the siblings even had a case
