Dear Mary,
My 92 year old mother-in-law died last year and my husband and I were shocked to learn that we had both been completely written out of her Will. We had cared for her for years, and this is how she thanks us? She gave her whole estate (which is worth A LOT) to her grandchildren. We have met with many lawyers and nobody wants to help…tough to prove undue influence and being of sound mind.
My husband is in poor health and we are both exhausted and so hurt by her actions. Do you have suggestions for us?
Shelly:
Hello Shelly:
I often hear stories like yours and the shock that people get upon reading a loved one’s Will.
I have two suggestions for you to consider. Either keep meeting with lawyers until you find someone to help you or find a way to have peace with this whole situation.
As painful as this is for you, your mother-in-law at least decided to give her estate to family members. She could have given it all to charities or non-family members. The money stays within the family and perhaps that is where you can find some peace. With any luck, when you are old and need care, your family members will spend some of their grandmother’s inheritance to care for you. Ok, now I am just dreaming of course.
The real lesson for you is to make sure your Wills are current. I suggest you speak with a lawyer to review your documents and update them if need be.
Mary
