Stepchildren inheriting - what setup do you have/suggest.

Question

I wanted to have some opinions. Picture this scenario. Single mother plus deadbeat dad. Mother marries someone with a decent job etc. Has 2 kids with this new husband.

Would a situation where the mother provides an inheritence for her first child and the other children get from their natural father but the stepfather does not give to the non biological child be workable?

Divide equally between the three children from both parents? Biological (deadbeat) dad is not in the picture.

How have people worked this out?

Answer 1

The first child would inherit from the first father and their mother. The second children would inherit from the second father and their mother. If however, the second father legally adopted the first child, the first child would receive inheritance from him and their mother, and not their biological father.

If you want to take deadbeat dad out of the picture, he would have to write a will explaining that he does not want his child to receive any of his inheritance.

If he does not want to leave his children out of the will, or even write a will the only other option would be for stepdad to legally adopt the first child. Because if he does not write a will, the money goes straight to the next of kin, which would be his children

By law in England (assuming you are English, contact me if you are American and i can explain the American laws), if you are adopted you become part of another family. Its like you are not related to your biological parents in any way shape or form, and so you cannot receive inheritance from them, you instead receive inheritance form your adoptive parents. so unless you get deadbeat to write a will or agree to have his children adopted then the first child will receive inheritance form him.

Also if you wanted the mother to give the first child her inheritance, you would have to have her write a will saying that she did not want her other children to receive any of her inheritance.

If i were you, i were in that situation, i would suggest that the stepdad adopt the first child, then the mother write her second childrens out of the will.

Still, whatever you do, it will be costly. wills and lawyers don't come that cheap

Answer 2

u need 2 treat ur children fairly n equally...when ur children introduce each other 2 der friends they dont say this is my stepbrother/sister (name)

so why do thta with the money coz then ur already dividing them

Answer 3

I HAVE HAD STEP CHILDREN IN MY LIFE,N I ALLWAYS TRY TO TREAT ALL THE CHILDREN THE SAME,,AND EQUALY WITH THE INHERITENCE..PEACE

Answer 4

There is no easy answers but keep in mind that you need all children to feel a part of the whole family and yours mine and ours does not always work.

You need to stop the step word and remember whats at stake all the kids should be equal.

if new hubby not sure check the motives it is not like the $$ is going to EX.

Answer 5

You need to see a family law attorney who specializes in wills and trusts.  I get the idea you're tinkering with and yes, you can tailor your will (s) or trust to make sure all the kiddies are taken care of.  You need to consider things such as who dies first and what happens, or if both of you are in a car wreck, he dies first and you die two weeks later what will happen?   Eventually, there probably will be grandkids, so what are you going to do about them?