A lot of us can be hesitant when it comes to drawing up wills that decide what happens to our property and belongings after we die. Plenty of people likely plan for and assume that their children will inherit anything worth inheriting, but what about people who don't have kids?
One woman recently shared on Reddit that she's been asking her husband if they can get their affairs organized just in case. They aren't parents, and it sounds like they aren't planning to be.
She makes this request every year.
The woman began, "Every year around my birthday I encourage my husband and me, both 27, to prepare a will since we don’t have any heirs: the state we live in has some weird laws if you die without children."
It turns out their estate will be split among their parents and/or siblings.
"We found out that if we were to pass then it would get split equally amongst each living parent: if no parents – it goes to our siblings," she explained. "We have 10 acres, a decent-sized home, and several paid-off cars."
But her mother-in-law has an issue with this.
"The 10 acres were gifted from my husband’s grandparents for us to build our home on; our house has been built and we have lived here for going on 2 years," she continued. "My MIL told my husband and me this past Sunday that the attorney's office she works at would draw up the will, but that everything is to be left to her with nothing to my family since it was a gift to us."
But the woman is not OK with this plan.
"To which I replied, 'Your son and I worked and paid off the land and built the home; we will decide where our estate goes, and we will find our attorney.'
"AITA for feeling like my family should get my half? Am I crazy for that? My husband’s family makes me feel insane!"
The mother-in-law is really getting people going.
Plenty of people pointed out that the mother-in-law can't do this.
"Find your own attorney, write your own will however you see fit and tell your ballsy MIL to pound sand," said one commenter.
"If you and your husband own the land, then its yours to do with as you wish. Your MIL has no power here. She can want whatever she wants, but she'll get (or not) what you decide to give her.
"If she wanted the land to remain 'in the family', then she should have made arrangements for that before gifting it to the two of you."
After all, when you give a gift, you also give up your control of what happens with it.
Another commenter made an excellent point: "When receiving a gift, the recipient gets to decide what to do with it. You can keep it, give it away, throw it away, raffle it off, etc. She just wants it and is making up some bogus reason why she should have it."
The woman is also receiving great advice.
A third person added something that all of us should really think about: "This is so important and where so many people go wrong. Your will is private, not to be read until you’re dead. Why oh why would you tell people who’s getting what? That’s not their right or business. That’s how you end up with greedy people clawing at you while you’re alive."
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
