If your mother or father informed you that the family pet was getting a sizable chunk of the family fortune through their will, how would that make you feel? We’re guessing you’d feel pretty confused before the anger started to rise up inside you. Thankfully for you, this is an imaginary scenario. But if you are the two sons of a woman with a significant estate in Florida, you are living this nightmare.
The woman has written her dog into the will, making the canine the prime beneficiary of a $1.8 million home in Florida. Her two sons, aged 32 and 38, didn’t live in the home, and this was the woman’s main reason for ensuring her dog was taken care of when she passes on.
Anyone can judge this as harshly as they want — it certainly seems strange — but it doesn’t matter, because this is what this woman wants to do with her estate.
This story acts as a reminder that family dynamics and interpersonal relationships are a big part of the estate. Is this woman estranged from her two children? Are they at odds? Are the woman’s two sons upset about this and are they going to mount some sort of legal challenge to the will should it be enacted under these terms?
Everyone should make sure to update their will on a frequent basis to make sure the right beneficiaries are listed. Otherwise, you could leave your family with a legal headache after you pass on.
Source: Yahoo! News, “Woman leaves $1.8 million home to prized pup in her will ”“ instead of her two sons,” Jan. 19, 2015
