I'm expecting my daughters to share their grandma's inheritance 50/50 regardless of the will
AITA
A father is upset that his late mother-in-law's will unfairly favors one of his two daughters, Elise, over the other, Rea, due to a clause disqualifying any grandchild who has a child before turning 21. Elise stands to inherit the entire $30,000 trust, as Rea has a two-year-old son. The father believes Elise should split the inheritance 50/50 with her sister to make things fair, but Elise disagrees and wants to adhere to the terms of the will.
We've all heard the sayings: "Blood is thicker than water," "Family is everything," "Fair is not always equal." But what happens when these old adages clash, creating an ethical dilemma that reverberates through an entire family? Welcome to the tale of a father, his two daughters—Rea and Elise—and the controversial inheritance left behind by their late grandmother.
The Backstory
To understand the full scope of the situation, we must unravel a few threads. Rea and Elise are sisters but not by birth. Rea is the biological daughter of the father in this story, while Elise is the biological daughter of his wife. Both parents adopted each other's child when the girls were around 10-11 years old. The late grandmother knew Elise from birth but only got to know Rea during her teenage years. As if family dynamics aren't complicated enough, there's another layer: the grandmother's will.
The Inheritance and the Catch
After the grandmother passed away, the family received notice of a $30,000 trust she had set up a decade prior, with explicit instructions. It was to be divided equally among her grandchildren but with a clause: any grandchild who had a child before turning 21 would be disqualified from receiving their share. Rea, who has a two-year-old son, falls under this category, essentially leaving Elise to inherit the entire amount.
The Father's Dilemma
Here's where the ethical quagmire sets in. The father insists that despite the will's explicit terms, the right thing to do would be to split the money 50/50 between Rea and Elise. He argues that the late grandmother set up this trust in a manner that discriminates against Rea, who she never gave the same opportunities or time to as she did to Elise. And let's not forget, Rea was in a position to "fail" this test precisely because she joined the family later in life and wasn't privy to the same relationships or advantages.
Sisters at Odds
While Elise wants to adhere strictly to her grandmother's will, Rea's father argues that this situation calls for an ethical examination that goes beyond the legal document. Is it right for Elise to enjoy the full spoils of an inheritance when her sister is disqualified due to a clause that seems targeted at her? The wife, the mother of Elise and stepmother to Rea, tries to maintain a neutral stance, but even her neutrality speaks volumes.
The question remains: what does "fair" look like in a situation like this? Can a will dictate familial obligations, or do ethical considerations and nuanced family dynamics have a role to play? The father believes that even if the law allows for inequality, familial bonds and a sense of fairness should guide the way.
So, what do you think? Is the father right in his insistence on a 50/50 split, or does the letter of the law—or the will, in this case—hold the final say?
Top Comments
"YTA. Elise is her biological granddaughter, Rhea isn't. Elise spent time with her grandmother, Rhea didn't. Mind your business."
"YTA. Your MIL didn't even meet Rea for almost a decade. She was your daughter from a previous relationship that legally joined your MIL's family when she was 10. Are you really surprised that grandma had a stronger bond with the child she knew from birth that also shared the same interests as her? Curious how you left that part out.
If MIL really wanted Rea to have nothing, stipulating that she not have a child before she 21 seems like a pretty low bar to set. Regardless of whether or not it was a "trap", it's her will and her money. Elise has no moral obligation to share the inheritance she got from what sounds like a very influential, close loved one who passed away."
"YTA for leaving out that Rea is your MIL’s step grandchild, and Elise is MIL’s bio grandchild. That’s a pretty critical part of the story."