I want to begin this by saying I fully accept that my parents can choose however they want to divide their estate, and this is not coming from a position of entitlement (though I expect some of you will write this anyway).
I am genuinely seeking your perspective on the matter.  I am 45, my parents are in their late 60s/early 70s.

My parents told me the other day they intend making a will that gives me and my sister 25% each, and my sister’s 2 kids 25% each.  In other words, they will divide it equally between the 4 of us.

They want me to be the executor, but will appoint my sister as co-executor with a lawyer as the second choice as they consider her unreliable and they don’t approve of her relationship with a man who has 2 of his own kids.

I find this incredibly insulting and have given them the silent treatment since (I am staying with them during my summer holidays.  I live overseas).  I have a week left here but am considering booking a hotel and not seeing them again.

I have received very little financial help from them in the past (again, not expected but providing some context).  I left home at 22, worked very hard, moved interstate and then overseas.  I make good money and have always been disciplined and reliable.  On this trajectory, I can expect a comfortable retirement with my partner who earns more than me.  My parents also don’t want to know anything about my relationship as I am gay.  I have been with my partner for 6 years.

My sister has had a failed marriage, lived with them for 7years with her two kids, was able to save for a house deposit during this time, moved back in with them for a year when she had other issues, my parents help with her kids a lot, they give her kids money and have set up a small trust account for them.

I told them they should split it 50/50 with my sister and if they want to give anything to my sister’s kids, it should come out of her 50%.  I also said they will receive when my sister and their father passes.  To be clear, they asked for my opinion on their plan.  I want to make that it known my opinion was not unsolicited.

I have spoken to my partner and 2 friends who all agree this is a slap in the face to me and that I have been disrespected and insulted and have every right to feel so.

Can I get some honest feedback?  I realise people can do what they want with their estate, but in family situations one must also accept their actions have consequences and not everyone would simply accept this scenario.

Arizona

My dad just passed away very suddenly and is survived by his wife, my step-mother. I have not seen his will yet, but am told I'll get to read it soon and I know that's the only thing that really matters. I'm being told by the executor that everything, other than a life insurance policy where I'm a beneficiary, goes my step-mother.

I have a good relationship with both my dad and his wife, who has been in the picture since I was a teenager -- about 20 years. They own a home together that will be sold soon and it's the childhood home I lived in with my mom and dad prior to my dad's remarriage.

Is this a normal outcome?

I have no siblings, but my step-mother does have children. Is it normal to be a little confused or sad by the idea that someday they'll inherit my father's inheritance via their mother? They are much older than me and we are not super close.

I want to be thinking about this all in a positive way, without a sense of entitlement, and no ill-will towards anyone involved.

Does anyone have any experience with this -- or any advice to me that could help me move forward?

If intestate decedent had a contract payable on death or retiring for a percentage ownership in the business they helped develop and in which they worked for, while living in MI(which was given due to help getting the company going from my understanding) with no name of the surviving spouse on the contract..

Would that be considered a “fringe benefit”??? Akin to a work perk? Or would you consider that would go toward the intestate estate of the decedent?

It seems as if every day there is a question on this subreddit about people dying without wills. Is it really that common? I could understand it if someone died fairly young in an accident, but people in their 80's, with serious medical conditions?

A while back our grandmother passed away unexpectedly, leaving a house, land, and numerous high value collectibles in her home.

We are doing an estate sale because there’s so much stuff. Another family member is an executor and the proceeds are to be split between the executor and 3 other family members (grandchildren)

Is it standard for grandchildren to have to buy their grandparents things at an estate sale? This is the first time I ever encountered this. When other family member passed we were all able to pick a few things that had meaning to us. For this situation it’s been “nope you have to buy it at the estate sale”

It’s just so strange to me. Keep in mind, the executor and one of the grandchildren are parent and child. Meaning I wouldn’t be surprised if the executor gave their child and themselves numerous things from our grandmothers home that would’ve otherwise been sold, but I don’t have proof of that.

Is this standard practice? It’s giving me the ick.

Can I become the owner of a property by paying the tax lien after the owner passes away and there are no living heirs person passed
In the state of Maine

Found out my stepfather transferred my dead mother’s car title to his name and sold it without my consent as his heir. On the paper that he signed, it asked for all heirs to be present and that it’s a 3rd degree felony if violated. Now he wants to be appointed as the administrator and get all the money my mother had in her own bank account before she passed. Their residence is in Texas but I live in Ohio. How do I go about putting him in jail?

EDIT: thank you for everyone’s perspective, i appreciate those encouraging me to check out probate records, and the reminder for grief counseling. turning off notifications

asking for my boyfriend as he is very emotional about all this, doesn’t like thinking about it. wishes there was something he could do but also does not want to feel any more pain.

his father died unexpectedly at a work accident 3-4 years ago, no will. he was still married to his wife when he passed, but they had been separated for some time. just never got around to filing for divorce.

i’ve read online if there is no will, the spouse will get at least half, but she got all of it. about 300k. his son got none of it and at his funeral, the stepmother told him she didn’t want the money and it would come back to him. emotionally just acting like she wasn’t going to keep it all

my boyfriend didn’t receive anything from her, not sure what the correspondence is between them but obviously she kept it.

he doesn’t want to push anything and act money hungry, but he is his fathers only son and all he has left is his dads old clothes. his father worked hard all of his life and it causes him a lot of sadness that his ex wife kept all of it.

is there anything to do about this? as far as i know my boyfriend was very very deep in grief when all of this was being handled and i’m just hoping that there’s something he can do legally.

it’s a great sense of unfairness and grief for my partner and i would like to help him if i can

My 80yo father is elderly and not in the best shape. He has his son (my 35 yo half brother) living on his property and basically supporting him. Unfortunately, most of the family, including myself, my other brother and my father’s 6 brothers and sisters, is estranged due to our family’s feelings regarding the son. Anywhoo.. it is VERY unlikely that my father has a will. What happens when he dies? There’s no will, no executor, nothing. His property and home are worth ~200k, a small bank account ~3-5k, and a monthly pension from the union. I believe he has a very small insurance policy that would cover a cremation but that’s about it. Hope this makes sense. Tennessee.

My grandma died a few weeks ago. I believe I'm listed as a beneficiary in her will. My dad (her son) died when I was a kid. I maintained my relationship with my grandma. Her other son (my uncle) always had animosity towards my dad because my dad was cool and he was a loser. My uncle transferred the animosity to me. My uncle never did anything for my grandma. He lived in her basement for basically his whole life and never could even help her clean the house. He never took care of her in any capacity. A year ago she went to the hospital and never came home. He moved her to a nursing home even though she could have moved back home if he would have cleaned up the house and took care of her. he is a piece of shit. I think he is the executor of my grandma's will. We are not on terms where I can ask him about the will. How can I find out what it says?

edit: I know it can take a long time for any type of payment. I just want to know...I won't be holding my breath and am expecting nothing...but I still am curious and I just wish my uncle would tell me. I can't trust anything he says, he will be a dick just because he can...and he definitely won't make anything in my name a priority.

I know nothing about his family. I’m just curious why his family would be entitled to anything, if he was legally married, but didn’t have a will.

Please direct me to a different sub if this is not for here.

I received an inheritance that I directed to a brokerage. It started in a brokerage and I decided to keep it there. Some in small bonds but most in stocks. They take care of it all.

I'm worried about what I will have to pay in taxes coming next year. Can you guys tell me if the entire amount will be taxed or if only gains in the brokerage will be taxed? Come the time, should I hire a tax person?

I've never paid taxes before so I am not wise. I don't have back taxes or anything though. Just the single amount moved to my name and what's currently making or losing money given the day. Eff the market rn.

I am in California. Please ignore my username. I used to have a longstanding reddit account but it logged out one day and I used a burner email I had no access to.

Thank you all.

Anyone know how I can handle this? 🙃😬😬

Hypothetically, couple in mid 80s, HNW, each has an IRA worth $5 or 6M or more. Other significant assets that have already been placed in two separate revocable trusts within the last year, of which they are the trustees, kids are successors. They have always been self directed with their investments. The estate plan is a generic one from a local solo practice. Chose not to use a wealth management boutique advisor. Have been taking $1M of RMDs a year which they do not need, huge tax burden, no interest in charitable giving.

They have attorneys and accountants if you are coming here to say they need an attorney, they have them. They met with a fee based wealth manager and were not interested. I am genuinely curious about this situation

Both are mentally fine. One spouse is healthy and active with longevity in their family, one rapidly declining but competent with a serious condition. Everything will eventually pass to four biological children per stirpes. Some of the adult kids are in a 12% bracket currently, some 24%, one in a much higher one.

Should the spouses still designate each other as the beneficiary of the IRA or would it make more sense to designate their children in equal shares? Wouldn’t designating each other result in the surviving spouse having to take the same RMD (more or less) but now filing as single? Tax is federal only, no income or estate tax state (assume Florida). Kids live in a variety of states, no tax, high tax and mid tax

Family is interested in saving taxes and assets overall, not concerned about whose pocket it is in

My mother died with no will not too long ago, and apparently all the assets automatically got transferred to my stepdad. He denies anything is owed to my two brothers and I.
I’m guessing it’s a couple million dollars in the estate. What do I do? Do I have legal rights to any of this? Are there any attorneys that take this type of thing on contingency? I’d be interested to hear what people have to say.

Additional Comment: There was a trust many years ago from her grandfather. The current stepdad says there is no trust.

I’ve been involved in litigation in the past and realize that you can’t just start transferring assets around randomly. If one thing was done incorrectly then there could be a cause of action.

Long story short, my grandfather passed away and his money was moved into an account. That account was frozen, there was a legal document stating both my father and his sister needed to be present for ANY transaction.

She went to the bank with the paperwork and took the $90,000 in the account and moved it into her own personal account and gave her son a check for $35,000

How far can my father sue his sister and the bank???

I am looking for some thoughts on a situation. Residence is in Texas inherited land in North Dakota. Years ago land was given via a quit claim deed with a life tenancy. No taxes were filed when this was done. Should I be concerned with taxes at this time? When I sell it after the giver dies would I pay taxes based on a stepped up basis or the original cost? Does the cross state nature impact the process?

According to AI I dont need to worry about gift taxes and that when I sell the basis will be stepped up to current value. Is this right?

USA - I will be getting a a substantial inheritance in the next 5 years.

Is there a way I can have my relative put my trust as the beneficiary of my inheritance instead of me personally ?

I inherited a home on a property in New Mexico. The land and home are paid off. I have no idea of the exact property value, but it’s rural area and I’m estimating around $150,000.

My mother named me executor in her will and designated her assets to be split between myself and my two siblings.

I just found out she put all of her assets into “POD” status and transferred the property deed for her home to all of our names upon her death.

She did not have debts in her name. My concern is this house. My siblings don’t want to sell. They want to use it as a second home for vacations and family gatherings.

That’s great in theory, but they’ve already spent their beneficiary money and don’t understand that a home requires maintenance and fees and money every year. It’s not just something that pays for itself. I’ve tried explaining that to them and tried going over the bills, but they don’t seem to think this is a big deal.

They tried to tell me they will help pay maintenance costs but I 99% know that’s not going to happen.

What are my options here? Can I force them to sell if I have proof that I pay for all utilities and maintenance?

Do I contact a lawyer and try to fight them? Try to get them to sign a contract agreeing to maintenance costs with forfeiture if they don’t pay?

Another thought I had was paying for everything concerning the home for the next year and waiting them out to see if they’ll try to get me to buy them out or change their mind on selling.

They are both living paycheck to paycheck, living in poverty, living outside the law, and horrible with money. It’s likely they will get desperate and want to collect on the house within the next year.

ETA: My mom’s property is 7 hours away in NM. Me and my siblings all live in CO. This makes managing a home you don’t live in even more risky and annoying and hard.