seniors; the progression on estate planning.

[Mike Mercury]

OK; I've seen/heard this too often.

Initial estate planning, seriors edging into their 60's...
We'll reward the particular kids of ours that lead a responsible life and never needed our financial help. Oh; everybody will get something; but I want to reward - more - for those that took-on a responsible lifesyle...
because that's the right thing to do

4-5 years later
We're going to split everything evenly...
because that's the fair thing to do.

4-5 later then...
We're going to give the bulk of our money/belongings to our most irresponsible offspring, because...
they need it, and my other kids don't.

Just heard this -yet again - from a co-worker; and this progression (backwards - IMO) happens a lot.

I can remember years ago my cousin asking my uncle for $300 to pay off some lingering traffic violations. My uncle said:

"$900 is a lot of money, I don't have it"

cousin: "But dad, it's only $300."

Uncle: "If I give you $300, then it's only fair to give your two sisters $300 each as well;I don't have $900 to give.

Yet, when my uncle passed; he gave his worthless son a car, all the furniture in his home; but listed one of his daughters as executer.

Are we all destined to migrate our estate from those deserving gettign most - to equall distribution - lastly to handing the bulk over to the worse of the offspring???

[Low12s]

I'm happy to say that every one of my 3 kids is great.

[bsmith]

My inlaws are like this, except that nothing is on paper.

My wife and I are the responsible ones.
Her sister and brother are still attached to the tit at 32 & 31 years old.

Their parents are divorced, but both sides have said that they are going to leave us a larger portion because we have needed nothing from them, while the other two constantly need help.

I'm sure that your progression is true in this case.


Hell, my Grandfather died in 2009 and the will was set up to be split among 7 grandkids (4 not in it).
A couple months after he was gone, his wife changed it and she tells us that it is now split (not evenly) among my brother and I and her loser son.

She justified taking her own blood-grandkids out because "they don't need it"
Her loser son apparently does need it.