'My step-brother wants half my inheritance - I don't know what to offer him'

09 March 2024 , 10:22

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The woman didn't want to fall out with her brother, but equally didn't want to give in to his demands (Stock Image) (Image: Getty Images)

Inheritance can cause families to disagree, argue, and in certain circumstances can cause a complete relationship breakdown.

At a time when you should be pulling together as a family after the loss of a loved one, unfortunately, sometimes pound signs get in the way of rational behaviour, and when one woman's step-brother demanded half of her inheritance, she was left confused and hurt.

She explained that she loved him "dearly" and didn't want to fall out over the situation, and she did want to give him something, but she felt like half was just "too much" - and that he was being hypocritical.

Taking to Mumsnet, the concerned woman wrote: "My half-brother who I love dearly wants me to share my inheritance with him, he says my mum told him she would share it half-half. That's not what she told me. Mum had passed away so we can't clarify now."

And there was another reason the woman didn't want to share her inheritance 50/50, because "He received an inheritance from his mum that he didn't share."

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She ended the post by explaining: "I'm happy to give him a share but I feel half is too much. I don't want to fall out with him but I feel it's unfair."

There were some strong feelings in the comments section, with some wondering how he could be so cheeky. One simply wrote: "He can go f**k himself", while another said: "Of course he is going to say that, but he had an inheritance from his own mum and you'll split whatever your dad leaves evenly. The money from your mum is yours. Why would it have anything to do with him? She wrote her will the way she wanted it. That's the end of it."

Someone fumed: "She wasn't his mum, why should you share it at all, let alone half of it?", with another Mumsnetter agreeing: "If he didn't share the inheritance from his mum why would he expect you to share yours? I'd tell him that."

Others were concerned that he was "trying it on" and making things up to bag some additional cash, with someone writing: "How about saying 'that's not what she told me, that's not what's written in the will and that's not the precedent you set with your mum's inheritance'?"

Danielle Kate Wroe