My mother is in her late 80s and owns her home outright. Let’s call my half-brother “Matt.” Matt has been designated my mother’s power of attorney. My mother has told me that in her will, everything will be split 50/50 between Matt and me.
Liam and my mother no longer have a relationship because of this. My mom and Matt live in the same state, and Liam and I live out of state. What can I do to ensure that I have a “good” outcome, and don’t get cheated out of my share of the estate by Matt or my mother?Dear My Mother’s Son, You are doing everything in your power to cheat yourself out of your inheritance. But let’s talk about the house first, and the will second.
Bad outcome 1: Your mother, true to her word, leaves you 50% of her estate. But because you have badgered and cajoled her to show you the evidence, she is hurt and annoyed that you don’t trust her, so she reverses her decision and cuts you out of the will. Bottom line 1: You risk doing more damage by demanding to see a copy of the will. If she has included you, it would take one visit to her attorney’s office to leave you nothing . If she has not included you, I don’t believe treating her like an ATM will change that.