First I’d like to say this site has been a lifesaver for me over the past 7 years that I’ve been a caretaker. I discovered a lot of people have much bigger problems than I, and this has put my issues in perspective!
5 years ago I took an early retirement because the care of both my parents was too overwhelming along with a full time job. My husband supported this decision.
My wonderful Dad passed away a bit over two years ago and once again with my husbands approval we moved my Mother in with us. It’s working out much better than we both thought. My Dad was so worried about her as she is quite frail but is actually doing quite well.
My MIL started declining about a year to 2 years ago and I stepped up to help with her Doctor Appts, etc. She recently passed and much to our surprise left quite a legacy to my husband. Long story short this is the only marriage for both of us and we share 4 adult children. Married for 43 years. All our children are well educated with great careers.
Here is the kicker I just inadvertently found out my husband put his inheritance in an account with just him and one of our son's name. I do understand an inheritance does not need to be shared with a spouse but what a slap in the face. I had every intention of putting whatever inheritance I get in both our names. Also my salary paid for the kids colleges so no real 401k for me. I am deeply hurt by his lack of concern about me should he go first. Just wonder what your thoughts are on this topic. Thanks
Please don’t tippytoe around this. This will fester. It doesn’t have to be a big planning session, just “So what do you think we should do with that inheritance money? I’m not sure where to put it.” If you don’t like the answer, move yours to your own account as well.
It also seems that the OP comes from a family which contributed a great deal to the financial well-being of her family.
This of course, cuts both ways. DH may assume that since her family is wealthier, he doesn't need to share with her.
Money and families are very complicated, as many of us know.
What is DH, what is OP?
“Statutory laws protect inheritances in all states. This means that if you receive an inheritance, the law declares that your spouse has no right to it during or after your marriage. However, it is very easy to undo this protection if you don’t handle the inheritance properly. The statutes don’t say that your spouse has no right to your inheritance under any circumstances whatsoever. However, your inheritance is your sole and separate property as long as you take steps to segregate it from marital assets.
When you commingle your inheritance with marital assets, you cease to shelter it. Commingling means you’ve put it together with marital money or property. If your inheritance is cash and you deposit it into an account held in joint names with your spouse, you’ve commingled it.”
I found this on a legal advice type website, although I can’t remember which one.
But I do think it addresses why the husband banked the inheritance in the manner he did - to not “commingle” and therefore keeping it out of his wife’s reach - ever.
The bigger question is: why would he want to or feel the need to do that? No matter how I turn this
over in my mind - I can’t come up with any well-meaning or positive reasons.
I agree with the position that it is not the money that is the issue - it is the way in which it has been handled by the husband and the son - that action in and of itself.
The whole situation just sucks. I do wish the OP would return and let us know how things are working out. But, I’m afraid we may never know. Another drive-by posting mystery.
Hey Joey: You really do seem to have a chip on your shoulder. First of all I will preface this by saying my inheritance will be quite comparable to my husbands which I had every intention of putting into our joint accounts. My question was to put this situation out on this forum as we appear to be of similar ages with caregiving as a commonality. While I stayed home raising our children it was my parents who took us on elaborate vacations, paid for the kids camps, Birthday parties and gave us their used cars instead of trading them in. They paid for the orthodontist as well as the addition on our house. I went back to work after 16 years to a lucrative income which put all our children through college. So shame on me for expecting to share in his inheritance. I saw the will and she left various amounts to her grandchildren and in no way stipulated how the money was to be used by anyone. You should not assume someone is a gold digger especially without all the facts. Everyone on this forum has been so kind in validating my feelings and giving me great advice which for all of them I am so grateful!
I did see that after my post.
Unfortunately, it was buried as a reply to a reply - that was made several reply’s ago...
Im not too crazy about that feature -
the replying to a reply. Unless it happens to be really recent... other than that - things get lost.
An elderly friend of ours died and her husband blew all their life savings on a young girlfriend who, with the help of her husband, conned him out of everything he had, leaving their two children with nothing. One son had to care for him until he died. My husband thought he did nothing wrong, which makes me wonder if he'd do the same thing to our children with my mother's inheritence. Our children are not well-off. One of our children is a financial advisory and handles my mother's finances through me. I have DPOA and joint right of survivorship. It would be up to me to make sure they receive their share before I die. However, I wouldn't do it behind my husband's back. We'd sit down together with an attorney and work out the details.
So, yes, D2Peeps, you should be upset in the way DH handled the situation. But I wouldn't blame your son. He's in the middle. What did your son think you would do with this information? If there's way to approach hubby about his intentions, do it now. Also, let him know some trust has been compromised.
Perhaps the husband could just be so overwhelmed with his mom passing and being executor of her will that he just parked the money somewhere until his thoughts had a chance to settle down. That’s what I would do — to keep it separate — until we were able to think clearly about what to do. At first I thought it odd that just 1 son was listed on the account. After reading a further response by the OP, I realize that makes sense as well, since the son is doing most if not all of the work regarding disbursement of the estate monies.
Yes, she is miffed, like anyone would be; and so many responses validated that. However, I do think assumptions have gotten a little out of hand — a classic case of imaginations gone wild due to emotions. Having a calm conversation I hope puts her fears at rest. It might not give her all the answers right now or the ones she wants (the money put into a joint account), but at least her thoughts would be based on what he says vs what she thinks is happening.
My mother's cousin was very well to do. Estate of about 25 million when she passed away. My mother was this cousins best friend in the whole family. My mother passed away in 2000. At that time, her cousin invited my father over to visit every single Sunday from then on. They were good friends, talked for hours each Sunday, played cards together, bridge, and such. My father spent about an hour driving each way to go see her. My father would pick the cousin up and bring her to family holidays and get togethers, while I would take her back home after such events. Both my father and I had about 2 to 2.5 hour drives each event to bring her to the family events.
Said cousin passed away in 2010. She had made an addendum to her trust in 1998 and then again in 2010. In the 1998 trust my mother was listed as a beneficiary to receive 8% of the value of the trust, and her grand daughters to receive 2%. When the addendum was written in early 2010, my mothers portion of the trust was removed, since she was deceased and the grandaughters then received 5 % of the trust.
My father visited her for in excess of 10 years. The cousin died at the age of 102, she was very lonely and had watched all her friends die off, as she outlived them.
My father received nothing, not a cent, from the trust. My mothers portion was distributed among the grandaughters. The grandson received 2%. My aunt got the same as my mother would have, 8%, and my cousin, she got 7%. When my aunt passes away, depending on how much she saves or spends, my cousin will inherit that balance, so in total, said cousin gets 15% of total trust.
My two sisters got 15% each, I received nothing also, just like my father.
My mother and father always had separate accounts. I've never considered my family dysfunctional or unusual.
I won't be surprised if when my father passes away, he leaves his whole trust to me as the only son.... my sisters are quite comfortable since 2011.
Girlfriend and I are just fine and dandy with our arrangement, there's plenty of wise investments generating sufficient income to go around.
Given my experiences in life, I'd suggest that when the OP inherits, she's welcome to either deposit her inheritance in a separate account, and do with it as she sees fit. She always has the option to put some of the money in a joint account, if she sees fit. On the surface, it appears as if she will inherit well, from her side of the family.
gi to a lawyer and get the facts of what you can and cannot do. Confront your husband with all children present. Then hear what he has to say. Then if he lies show him you have already spoken to someone about your rights
i think your husband and son think you will do as you are told
this is the way things were done in the “old country “. And a big FU to those who talked about it being his money and keeping wealth in the family. Bunch of wankers
this just happened to a friend of mine after 26 years of marriage. Husband had hidden 100’s of thousands of dollars from her and put it in a family trust made by her MIL and included the husbands 4 siblings as well so they all lied for decades. See how much he loves his money if you take 50% of everything including his inheritance
Right. That’s why she’s upset. Got nothing to do with the lying and deceit and sense of betrayal
she was good enough to work her butt off to put children through their education but not good enough to share “his money” with. Delusional