Question: Dear Luise: My mother in law divorced my husband’s father when he was a toddler. His father moved far away and my MIL’s parents raised my husband. Mil remarried and husband never lived with mother and her husband. MIL and her husband adopted a child. MIL’s husband is not a nice man. Recently my MIL told my husband she made a Will. In the will she is leaving her adopted son her home and many acres of land. MIL told husband she is leaving him (my husband ) few more acres of land than adopted son. This is not fair. My husband is very hurt and has approached his mother and stepfather very kindly about making changes in the Will to be fair. It has caused much grief to my husband. He has never felt real love from his mother. The strain between my husband and his mother is so apparent but she just acts like nothing is wrong. My husband is not a money hungry man. He is loving, honest and a good person with good morals. Any advice? It’s just a shame. It would be so nice if there was more love shown to my husband. Thanks, V.
Answer: Dear V. You are absolutely right; it isn’t fair. However, people do very strange things with wills.
There is now a clause in many wills that states that anyone who contests it is automatically disinherited. Many people don’t know about that until it’s too late. Horror stories are everywhere about the deserving being left out and the undeserving prospering from ill advised wills.
I know someone who got upset with her heir and left her sizable estate to the Humane Society. And I recently read about another person who left only small bequests to those near and dear because she thought leaving the bulk of her estate to charity would get her into heaven. Go figure!
All you can do, that I know of, is to learn from this so that when it comes time for you to write up your own will, you will be kinder and make better sense. Blessings, Luise
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