In a relationship all the things that people strive for are love, wealth and happiness. If any of these is not stable a relation goes for a toss. In this story a couple made their own respective wills however the husband got into an argument regarding this. Read the story and suggest the wife what she should do.
Source: Reddit
My husband Jack and I married later in life – we were both in our 50s. It was a second marriage for both us. He has 3 children. I don’t have any biological children, but I am still very close to my former step-son Thomas that I helped raise. We were both very well off financially – Jack more than me. Jack owned his own business and was up front that he intended that business to be left to his children.
We signed a prenup before our wedding that basically said we each get to keep what we brought into the marriage. We kept our finances separate though we both contributed to a joint account for household expenses – which we split 50/50. We did our wills at this time – Jack left everything to his children and I left mine to Thomas. We were both aware of what the other had done and we were fine with it.
Jack’s business went under about 4 years ago. He was desperate to keep the business going and poured all his savings into it. The business had been his grandfather’s and then his father’s, and he was determined to be able to hand it down to his children. He ended up losing almost everything. He was completely devastated. Standard of living wise not much changed except that I am paying 100% of household expenses. I love him and I am fine with this.
I had a health scare about a month ago where I realized that if I died, Jack would be left with nothing as my will gives everything I own to Thomas. I told Jack that I was planning to change my will. My plan was to put a third of my assets into a trust for Thomas’s children (he has 2 currently that both call me Nana), a third directly to Thomas, and a third in trust for Jack. I would set it up so that Jack would receive a generous monthly check, but that after he died the assets in the trust would go to Thomas. I did it that way because I want Jack taken care of while he is alive, but after that I want it to go to Thomas – not Jack’s kids.
Jack is furious that his children aren’t going to receive anything. He kept pointing out that I have 3 step-children, not just one former one. Why are his kids getting nothing and Thomas everything? I should say that by the time we got together Jack’s children were grown. One already had a child and another was married. Other than the occasional holiday I have never lived with Jack’s kids. While he is not mine biologically – Thomas is my son in every way that counts. While I get along with Jack’s kids, we are not close at all.
Jack is threatening to leave me over this. He keeps saying that if I don’t care about his kids that means I don’t care about him. I’ve told him that is nonsense and that I don’t respond well to ultimatums. We had planned to leave our assets separately before we were ever married, but now that he doesn’t have money suddenly he wants me to leave my money to his kids.
What advice would you give her?
Here are a few comments on the story where it was originally posted:
