While it is usual to leave your children something when you die, there may be occasions when you do not want to do so. Perhaps you wish to exclude one or all of them from getting anything.
It’s your estate so you can usually do this. However, it’s not a decision to take lightly.
What unseen consequences might it have?
Maybe you are delighted at the thought of upsetting a particular child. Perhaps they do not deserve anything after the way they have treated you. But would you still consider it worthwhile if those you did leave something to feel guilty about their sibling being left out? Or if it led to a massive dispute between your children?
Another example: Two years after you die, your grandchild falls seriously ill and needs a major surgical intervention which their parents cannot afford. Were you still alive, you would have paid for it straight away. But you are not, and when you died you left all your money to a dog shelter rather than your child. How would you feel?
Or maybe you decide not to leave money to your child because they have a major drug problem. A few years after your death, they enter rehab and go on to lead a fulfilling and responsible life. But they still receive nothing from you because of the decision you took based on how they were living at the time you made your will.
Rather than disinheriting someone outright, it may be better to put money into a trust. It could then be released in certain circumstances, such as someone falling ill or ending their drug dependency. Learning more about all the options available, including how to disinherit someone altogether, is wise when making your estate plan.
